Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 22 September 2015
541. Deputy Sandra McLellan asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the reason a person (details supplied) in County Limerick has not received their agri-environment options scheme payment since December 2014; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31884/15]
View answerMy Department is currently examining approximately 400 cases that submitted invoices from one particular company to verify and support claims under the non-productive capital investment action of AEOS. It is known that in some cases the invoices submitted were for greater amounts than actually paid by the participants.
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. For that reason my Department wrote to participants requesting alternative proof that the amounts claimed were in fact the amounts paid.
The person named was written to on 11 June 2015, regarding the non-productive capital investment claim that he had submitted. This letter requested the submission of alternative verifiable proof for one of the invoices included in the claim. A reply to this letter was received on 23 June. My Department officials are now examining this case, a decision will issue to the person-named shortly.
