Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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368. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will clarify which two tasks were initially selected by a herd owner (details supplied) in County Mayo under the Beef Technology Adoption Programme 2012 scheme; the date on which the third task selected and completed by the herd owner; the date on which the Department was notified of the completion of the third task; the person within the Department who signed off on the decision to allow credit for the successful completion of this task; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51973/13]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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As indicated in reply to a previous Question regarding this case, the person named was initially found to be ineligible for payment under the 2012 Programme as it was established that he had failed to complete one of the two selected Tasks. However, upon review he was deemed eligible, as it transpired that he had satisfactorily completed a third Task. While the substitution of this third Task had not been notified to my Department beforehand, credit was allowed for its successful completion and, accordingly, payment under the 2012 Programme was made on that basis, as all other requirements of the Programme were successfully completed.

The Terms and Conditions of the 2012 Beef Technology Adoption Programme required participants to select two Tasks from the menu of eight Tasks, with provision for participants to notify a subsequent change of a selected Task. Following validation prior to payment under the 2012 Programme, 4,809 participants were confirmed as having satisfied the requirements of the Programme and were paid. Subsequently, the position of those who had not initially passed the validation process were re-examined, following which a further 683 participants were confirmed as eligible and were paid. A review process is a feature of the Schemes and Programmes operated by my Department.