Michael Healy-Rae (Kerry South, Independent)
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114. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the position regarding an overpayment in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Kerry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25564/15]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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The person-named entered the Early Retirement 2000 Scheme (ERS2) with effect from November, 2003.  On joining the Scheme he made a written declaration that he had read and understood the governing Scheme conditions. Under the Scheme conditions, any state pension must be deducted from ERS2 pension payments.On 27 October, 2010 he was advised in writing to inform the Department if he was awarded the State Pension Transition. No reply was received to this letter. 

On 13 July, 2011 the Department advised him in writing to apply for the State Pension on his 66^thbirthday and to forward any correspondence from the Department of Social Protection to facilitate any adjustment required to his Early Retirement Pension.  No reply was received but he did submit his Annual Declaration as usual in October 2011 advising no change in his circumstances.

My Department subsequently contacted the Department of Social Protection who advised on 25 October 2012 that had been in receipt of the State Pension Transition from 16^thDecember 2010.  Consequently, an overpayment of the ERS pension had arisen of €11,850.60 for the period from December, 2010 to December, 2011.  He was advised of this on the 29^thof November 2012. He appealed the decision to the Agriculture Appeals Office and his appeal was rejected.

The person-named has been reminded on a number of occasions of the outstanding debt. An option of repaying by instalments has recently been offered, but has not been accepted to date. If the gentleman concerned would contact the Department an appropriate repayment schedule can be worked out.

John McGuinness (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail)
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115. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if payments due to a person (details supplied) in County Kilkenny under the beef genomics scheme for 2013 and 2014 will be reviewed and paid; if the full circumstances of the case will be examined, as they are exceptional; and if he will expedite the matter. [25579/15]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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The person named registered 65 animals under the 2013 Beef Data Programme. Of these, 58 animals were not registered within the legally required timeframe. Therefore, they are not eligible for payment. The data required under the Programme for the other 7 animals was also not submitted by the deadline set in the Terms and Conditions of the Programme, which means that they are not eligible for payment. A total of 77 animals have been registered under the 2014 Beef Data Programme. Payment will shortly be made to eligible applicants subject to compliance with the Terms and Conditions of the Programme. Under the Terms and Conditions of the Beef Genomics Programme, participants are required to remove or retest animals found to be persistently infected with BVD within seven weeks of a positive test. The initial test result of one of the animals of the person named indicated that this animal was persistently infected with BVD. This calf was not removed from the herd or re tested for BVD for 30 weeks and so the person named is not eligible for payment under this Programme. It is open to the person named to seek a review of the decisions in his case. If he wishes to do so he should write to the Beef Schemes Section, Department of Agriculture, Food and Marine, Government Buildings, Portlaoise, Co. Laois outlining the reasons for the non compliances and submit any supporting documentation that might be relevant to his case.