Timmy Dooley (Clare, Fianna Fail)
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532. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine further to Parliamentary Question No. 267 of 10 March 2015, when a person (details supplied) in County Clare will receive their payment under the agri-environment options scheme for 2013 and 2014; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31624/15]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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The person named was approved for participation in the 2012 Agri - Environment Options Scheme (AEOS 3) with effect from the 1 st May 2013. Issues arose in relation to the splitting of land parcels, which required an amendment to the applicant’s Single Payment Application, and prevented the file from progressing towards administrative check.  These amendments were successfully completed earlier in the year.

Under the EU Regulations governing the Scheme and other area-based payment schemes, a comprehensive administrative check, including cross-checks with the Land Parcel Identification System, must be completed before any payment can issue. During these checks, further issues have arisen in relation to Natura land. These issues have proved to be complex and my officials are actively working towards resolving them. Once these issues are resolved, further administrative checks must take place before payment can issue. Any outstanding payments will then be made as soon as possible thereafter.

Tom Fleming (Kerry South, Independent)
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533. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the position regarding payments under the agri-environment options scheme for a person (details supplied) in County Kerry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31628/15]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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My Department is currently examining approximately 400 cases that submitted invoices from one particular company to verify and support claims under the non-productive capital investment action of AEOS. It is known that in some cases the invoices submitted were for greater amounts than actually paid by the participants. Funding provided under the scheme comes partly from the EU and partly from the National Exchequer. There is a requirement and obligation to ensure that the expenditure claimed by scheme participants reflects the reality of what took place. For that reason my Department wrote to participants requesting alternative proof that the amounts claimed were in fact the amounts paid.

The person named was written to on 8 June 2015. This letter requested the submission of alternative verifiable proof to support one of the invoices that was included in the claim. A reply to this letter was received on 24 June enclosing a letter from their accountant.

My Department officials are now examining this and other similar cases, and comparing the costs claimed against similar verified costs. A decision on this case will issue to the person-named shortly.