Dan Neville (Limerick, Fine Gael)
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To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the position regarding a rural environment protection scheme repayment in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Limerick. [41770/12]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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The REPS 4 agri-environment plan commenced on 1st June 2008 and the person named received full payments for the first three years of the contract. REPS 4 is a measure under the current 2007-13 Rural Development Programme and is subject to EU regulations which require detailed administrative checks on all applications to be completed before payments issue. Following an inspection in August 2011, the applicant was deemed to be in joint management and joint ownership with another REPS 4 participant.

Following a review of this case by my officials, it was decided to allow both to retain separate herd numbers, with the REPS payments under one of the herd numbers deemed an overpayment. Accordingly, a letter issued on 7th September 2012 indicating the total amount of the overpayment to be recouped was €23,562.84 with interest to be charged at the rate of 3% per annum in accordance with EU regulations. An arrangement to recover the amount due on a four year instalment basis of €491.13 per month was notified to the person named and my Department will make further contact to discuss the situation.