Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 14 July 2015
381. Deputy Colm Keaveney asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of farmers in County Galway who are still waiting for their payments under the agri-environment options scheme and the rural environment protection scheme; when this backlog in payments will be resolved; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28517/15]
View answerREPS4 and AEOS are measures under the 2007-13 Rural Development Programme and are subject to EU Regulations which require detailed administrative checks on all applications to be completed before any payments can issue.
There were a total of 1,456 eligible applications for the 2014 REPS4 Scheme Year payments in County Galway. To date a total of 1,441 have been paid in full, leaving 15 cases still awaiting their 2014 REPS4 Scheme Year payment.
2,479 AEOS participants have been paid in County Galway with 145 cases that have not been paid to date.
These cases are held for a number of reasons, including the finalisation of Department inspections. In the majority of these cases, Department personnel have been in contact with participants or their planners regarding issues or documentation required to finalise their applications. Once the outstanding documentation has been furnished from participants, processing of the remaining cases will be completed as quickly as possible.
The AEOS cases also include those held up because of the review and investigation of some non-productive capital investment claims. These cases will be processed when satisfactory supporting documentation requested recently by my Department is furnished by the participants.
