Eugene Murphy (Roscommon-Galway, Fianna Fail)
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479. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if a case in which a person (details supplied) has been left with an outstanding bill to his Department through no fault of their own will be investigated; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3954/18]

Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
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The person named commenced a contract under the Agri-Environment Options Scheme on 1 December 2010.

Following a full review and investigation of this and similar cases, the Department found in this case that the herd owner, following a number of written communications, could not satisfactorily support the level of the original claim for the purchase of the trees. It was also found that the amount claimed was far greater than the going rate for the purchase of such trees from the supplier concerned and from other similar outlets.

A decision was made by the Department, that all monies already paid for the action would be recouped and the person named would be excluded from the scheme for two years as provided for under the relevant EU Regulations.

The person named appealed this decision to the Agricultural Appeals Office which upheld the Department's position in a decision dated 23 August 2016.