Martin Ferris (Kerry North-West Limerick, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

280. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the measures his Department has put in place to prevent fraudulent claims being made under the rural environment protection scheme; if his attention has been drawn to claims made in respect of lands that did not belong to the claimants; if he will provide, in tabular form, the details of same; if there are officials in his Department currently investigating such fraudulent claims; and if so, the counties in which claims are being investigated; and the number of cases. [7016/15]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

Detailed rules for the implementation of the Rural Environment Protection Scheme, which is a measure under the 2007-2013 Rural Development Programme, are set out in Commission Regulations 1974 and 1975 of 2006. The framework for the implementation of these rules is set out in a document titled Terms and Conditions of the Rural Environment Protection Scheme and the Natura 2000 Scheme as required under Council Regulation 1698 of 2005. The eligibility criteria for admission to the scheme and the annual requirements to remain in the scheme are also set out in this document.

All applications for admission to the Scheme and subsequent payment claims are subject to administrative checks and any other controls deemed necessary. Applications have been cross-checked with records held under the Department's Single Payments System and Animal Identification and Movement System. Prepayment checks and on-farm inspections are carried out annually.

Where an applicant knowingly makes false or misleading statements or withholds essential information in support of any claim for payment, their participation in the scheme may be terminated and all or part of any aid already paid must be returned.

My Department has no evidence of any widespread breaches of land-ownership requirements under the Scheme and is not carrying out formal investigations in this area at this point in time. However, if such information exists, my Department would be glad to receive further details.