Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
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To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the reason a person (details supplied) in County Cork who has previously received payment for maintenance of an NHA in their REP scheme 1 no longer receives payment in this regard; and if he will consider providing financial assistance to them on this matter; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4325/13]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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The person named received payments for maintenance of a National Heritage Area during their participation in REPS 3. However, the regulations regarding NHA’s changed for REPS 4 participants and ‘proposed lands’ were not eligible for payment under REPS 4. The person mentioned commenced REPS 4 in January 2008 and received payments for the first four years of their 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 any payments can issue. Following the administrative check an area discrepancy was discovered between the Single Payment Scheme application for 2012 and the REPS agri-environmental Plan which has resulted in the necessity for further clarification. This issue is currently being investigated with the intention of an early resolution and payment in respect of 2012.