Paul Connaughton (Galway East, Fine Gael)
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396. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when a person (details supplied) in County Galway will receive a decision on an appeal against a penalty applied in 2015 under the agri-environment options scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34498/15]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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The person named was approved for participation in the 2010 Agri Environment Options Scheme (AEOS 1) with effect from 1 November 2010 and received payments in respect of the scheme years 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013 and 2014.

The application of the person named was selected for an on-farm inspection in 2014, during which non-compliances with the Terms and Conditions of the Scheme were noted in relation to the Traditional Stone Wall Maintenance action. The length found to be eligible for payment was reduced from 3410m to 2183m, which resulted in a 100% reduction in payment for that action for the year of the inspection. The person named was notified of the inspection finding on 19 January 2015.

The person named appealed the inspection finding to the Regional Inspector. The outcome of the review was notified to the person named by letter of 05 October 2015. The decision to apply the penalty remains unchanged as the undertakings for the Action were not completed in accordance with the AEOS specifications. The person named has the right to appeal this decision to the Agriculture Appeals Office.