Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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The person named commenced in REPS 3 on 1st Oct 2006 and received payment for all 5 years of the contract. Following an inspection carried out on 13th July 2010, an area discrepancy was discovered which resulted in the imposition of a clawback totalling €3,080.69. The person named was notified of this clawback by letter dated 3rd May 2011 and of the right of appeal. To date no appeal has been received by officials in my Department.

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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The person in question established a plantation in December 2007 under a pilot project for the Forestry Environment Protection Scheme (FEPS). The pilot scheme had a higher rate of top-up payment than that which applied to the FEPS scheme which was subsequently implemented. It was decided that applicants who had planted under the pilot scheme were entitled to retain the higher rate of top-up payment once they continued to fulfil all the terms and conditions of the FEPS scheme. Therefore, this applicant was entitled to the higher top-up rate.

As a result of a control check of FEPS files, the client was informed that he had been overpaid on the basis that he should have been paid at the lower standard FEPS rate. However, a further review of the applicant's file revealed that the FEPS top-up payments made to him were at the correct rate. Arrangements were made to cancel the previous request to the client for repayment of the overpayment. The Forest Service has written to the client to notify him of this.