Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

1226.To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the current situation regarding an ACRES payment to a person in County Cork (details supplied); if he will provide details of the alleged overpayment; and if he will make a statement on the matter.[34207/24]

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

The herd number referred to was accepted into Tranche 1 of the ACRES Co-Operation stream. As the Deputy will be aware, a decision was made in early 2024 to issue an interim payment to any ACRES Tranche 1 participant that had not yet received an advance payment for scheme year 2023. A payment of €5,000 issued to the person named at the end of February.

My Department wrote to all recipients of the interim payment to advise that their final ACRES Year 1 payments would be based on the ACRES actions approved in their contract and, where results-based actions are included, the scores assigned to the relevant land. They were also advised that an overpayment would arise if the final ACRES amount calculated came to less than the amount of their interim payment. The letter also advised that, where an overpayment was identified, the Department would notify the participant concerned of the amounts and ways in which it may be repaid.

In this case, the total contract value for the 2023 scheme year amounted to €1,660.90. As this was less than the interim payment issued, a letter has also issued to advise of the options available for the repayment of the overpaid amount.