Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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216. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the status of a payment to a person (details supplied) in County Sligo under the agri-environment options scheme. [6755/16]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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My Department has been investigating a number of cases involving the submission of invoices, which originated from one particular source, to verify and support their claims under the non-productive capital investment action of AEOS. It is known that in many cases the invoices submitted by participants, or their representatives, were for amounts greater than what was actually paid by the participants for the purchase of trees and hedgerow plants.

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.

The person named was written to by the Department on 11 June 2015 requesting the submission of alternative verifiable proof to support an invoice that was included in their claim for expenditure incurred. A reply was received from the person named on 2 July 2015, however, no additional documentary evidence was produced.

A further letter issued to the person concerned on 14 October 2015 informing them of a determination made by the Department which included the clawback of undue payments already made and the imposition of penalties as set out in the EU Regulations. The person named was also offered the opportunity to have this determination reviewed within the Department by submitting additional information if they wished.

The person named sought a review of the above determination in a letter received by my Department on 28 October 2015. A final decision letter was issued to the person named on 24 February 2016, again outlining the clawback of undue payments made and the penalties to be imposed. The applicant was afforded the opportunity to appeal this decision to the Agriculture Appeals Office within three months of the date of the review letter.

A further letter issued to the person named on 12 April 2016 giving details of the amount to be recouped. There are no payments due to be made in this case.