Marcella Corcoran Kennedy (Laois-Offaly, Fine Gael)
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176. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the reason a person (details supplied) in County Offaly has to repay the grant they received through REP scheme 4 on leased lands of 14.35ha which have been sold by the owner of the lands; if an appeal will be allowed in this case; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29477/13]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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The person named commenced REPS 4 in June 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 application to be completed before any payments can issue. Under the terms and conditions governing the Scheme the participant undertakes to implement their farming activities for a minimum period of 5 years under an agri-environmental plan which includes all lands farmed whether owned, leased or rented. It now appears that this was not the situation in the case of part of the lands included in the REPS plan of the person named. Officials in my Department will investigate the matter further and will shortly be in contact with the person named.