Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 10 November 2015
283. Deputy Niall Collins asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the status of a penalty imposed on a person (details supplied) in County Cork in relation to a specific scheme for 2013 and 2014. [39353/15]
View answerThe person named joined AEOS 1 in 2010 and was paid in full for the 2010, 2011 and 2012 scheme years. Following an inspection on 14 August 2013, issues arose in relation to the Tree Planting and Planting New Hedgerow actions. AEOS applicants are required to undertake one mandatory and one complementary action and as the Inspector deemed the complementary Tree Planting action ineligible, the AEOS contract was terminated. The person named appealed the termination and following an oral hearing on the 12 December 2014 with the Agriculture Appeals Office his appeal was allowed and his contract was reinstated.
However, issues still remained, separate to the issue that was appealed, in relation to the Planting New Hedgerow action, and the 2013 scheme year payment was reduced following the application of a penalty of €593.22 and a reduction in the payable length of hedgerows from 515m to 458m, resulting in a monetary reduction of €324.33. This reduction in payment was applied to the 2014 scheme year and will apply to all full scheme year payments. The person named has now been notified of this finding and has been informed of his right to have this decision reviewed and appealed.
