Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the reason agri environment option scheme and REP scheme farmers who had a change in area farmed as result of an inspection in 2012 have not received their payments; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2175/13]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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Both the Agri-environment Options Scheme and the Rural Environment Protection Scheme are implemented under the Rural Development Programme, 2017-2013, and are subject to EU Regulations which require detailed administrative checks on all applications to be completed before any payments can issue. These checks have commenced and payments under both schemes have commenced in respect of the 2012 scheme year. My Department is continuing to process all applications for payment on an ongoing basis with a view to completing all payments as quickly as possible, including those cases where additional processing is required to take account of reductions in the areas farmed as result of inspections in 2012.