Colm Keaveney (Galway East, Independent)
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327. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when a person (details supplied) in County Galway may expect to receive a response regarding an appeal submitted under the agri environment options scheme. [21138/13]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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The person named submitted an application form for the 2011 Agri-Environment Options Scheme on 16th May 2011 having completed the Form B option, indicating that he had no designated lands.

Under the EU Regulations governing the Scheme and other area-based payment schemes, a comprehensive administrative check, including cross-checks with the Land Parcel Identification System, must be completed before any payment can issue. During this administrative checking process it was discovered that some parcels contained designated areas.

My Department subsequently rejected the application as the scheme Terms and Conditions had not been complied with. A letter issued to the person named on 12th March 2012 setting out this decision and providing the person named with an option to submit an appeal. An appeal was received in AEOS Section on 29th March 2012. Following the receipt of this appeal, officials in my Department requested additional information related to the designation of these lands from the National Parks and Wildlife Service. The reply received from the National Parks and Wildlife Service confirmed that the person named had been notified that lands on his holding were designated. Following a review of the file and taking into account the information received, my Department issued a letter to the person named on 26th October 2012 upholding the original decision to reject the application from the scheme. This letter also gave the person named the option to appeal the decision to the Agricultural Appeals Office. To date, there is no record of an appeal having been received in the Agricultural Appeals Office.