A compliance inspection on 18 June 1998 revealed contraventions of the REP scheme by this participant incurring penalties which amounted to 110% of his annual payment. The agri-environmental specifications then governing the scheme provided that where penalties amounted to more than an annual payment, the farmer who incurred them had his or her participation in the scheme terminated and all aid paid up to then had to be refunded to the Department.
The participant made an appeal and his case was reviewed by the national REPS appeals committee on 14 October 1999. The appeals committee upheld the original decision to terminate his participation and recoup all the aid he had received. The appeals committee is independent and its decisions are final.
As the person named failed to repay the amount he owed, my Department has had no option but to make arrangements to recoup it from payments for which he is eligible under other schemes administered by my Department.