Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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97. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if a person (details supplied) in County Mayo has received a payment under the agri-environment options scheme 3; the exact position in this case; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41902/15]

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 amounts different to those 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 above was written to on 11 June 2015 regarding the non-productive capital investment claim that they had submitted. This letter requested the submission of alternative verifiable proof to support one of the invoices that was included in the claim for expenditure incurred. A reply to this letter was received on 3 July last. In their reply a lesser amount of expenditure than the original claimed amount, was verified. In accordance with Commission Regulation (EU) No. 65/2011 a reduction of the difference between the claimed amount and the eligible amount must be imposed.

A further check was then carried out on all measures that were paid under the Scheme to the person concerned. This check revealed a further over payment on an action. A letter informing the person concerned about this over payment and also about the penalty to be imposed was issued on 17 November last. The letter also informed the person concerned of their right to have the decision in relation to the penalty reviewed.

The file is now being processed based on the above and outstanding payments will be made shortly.

Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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98. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if a person (details supplied) in County Mayo has received a payment under the agri-environment options scheme; the exact position in this case; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41903/15]

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 amounts different to those 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 above was written to on 15 June 2015 regarding the non-productive capital investment claim that they had submitted. This letter requested the submission of alternative verifiable proof to support one of the invoices that was included in the claim for expenditure incurred. A reply to this letter was received on 7 July last. Further information was supplied by the person named on 5 August.

My Department officials carefully examined the application in light of these replies; this examination indicated that the amount claimed had not been satisfactorily verified and that the amounts claimed were greater than the costs in verified cases. A letter informing the applicant of this determination, and of the proposed penalty to be imposed, was issued on 14 October. This letter also offered the applicant an opportunity to have the determination reviewed within the Department and to submit additional information if he wished not later than 30 October.

Following the letter of 14 October from my Department, further communication has taken place with the herdowner, and a response is awaited.

Payments have been fully made for 2013. However, 2014 payments were suspended pending the outcome of the above examination.