There has been an unprecedented demand for funds from the Farm Waste Management Scheme. More than 20,000 farmers are thought to have applied before the closure date, which was officially the end of December.
The scheme is to help farmers cope with waste through the provision of storage and other facilities. These have become vital as payment of the farmers' EU cheque, the Single Farm Payment, will depend on compliance with the new nitrates directive.
This EU directive has meant much tighter controls on farm wastes, such as slurry and soiled water.
Teagasc, the agriculture and food development authority, said its officials had handled 16,000 applications from farmers for the scheme.
"We had to take on additional staff to cope with the demand for the scheme following the information meetings about the nitrates directive which were held last month," said a Teagasc spokesman.
He said private planners would have handled another percentage of applicants, and farmers would also have submitted their own.
While the last day of 2006 is the final day for application, farmers have two years to put in place whatever systems they want.