Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

No, it is not. The farmer determines what is eligible. He or she has a responsibility to do that and the Department then checks the eligibility by inspection. If there has been a physical inspection on a farm and the claim has been approved on the basis of the inspection by the Department there will not be any retrospective claims on the land. If there is a dispute as to eligibility there are two appeals processes in place. That is why, where appropriate, we will go out and walk the land as well as talk about the imagery that exists, to try to get as accurate an assessment as possible. We cannot have a situation whereby farmers say they got a payment on the land in the past because nobody said it was ineligible and therefore they should not have to give back the money.