Seán Kyne (Galway West, Fine Gael)
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395. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine to set out the reason there is a debt of €1,153.11 outstanding in respect of a person (details supplied) under the 2014 single payment scheme; the reason this money is due; the reason a sum of €3,252.24 was recovered; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12150/15]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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An application under the 2012 Single Payment Scheme was received in my Department from the person named on 25 April 2012. One of the conditions of the above Scheme requires that any lands declared 'be used and managed by the applicant'. As the person named confirmed to my Department, by phone call, on 25 October 2012 that he was not farming any of the land parcels declared, the eligible area of the application was determined at zero hectares. Furthermore, the person named included a commonage parcel on this application, declaring 117/565 shares, and later confirmed in writing that he was only entitled to declare 23/565 shares.

Per the Terms and Conditions of the 2012 Scheme, as the overclaim on the application exceeded 50%, no payment was due under the 2012 Single Payment Scheme and an administrative fine amounting to the value of the Single Payment on the number of hectares over-declared was also to be offset against any EU payment due to the person named during the course of the three subsequent calendar years. This accounts for both the debt and the overpayment reduction referred to by the Deputy. My Department wrote to the person named on 26 September 2013, informing him of the position and of his right to have the decision reviewed.

My Department has reviewed the case indicated in the reply to Parliamentary Question 5122/15. Following that review the administrative fine aspects of the original decision have been waived. This will result in the removal of the administrative element of the penalty. However, the decision not to allow payment under the 2012 Scheme remains unchanged. Any monies due to the person named, on foot of this review decision, will issue as soon as possible to the nominated bank account of the person named.