My Department, in conjunction with Dúchas, is currently making arrangements for the establishment of a commonage framework plan appeals body. I will make a detailed announcement shortly about its composition and procedures.
Appeals will be considered on environmental grounds only. Where a representative number of shareholders in a commonage do not accept the scientific basis on which the commonage destocking figures in the framework plan are based, they will have the possibility of putting their case before an appeals body. Some funding will be made available to appellants to enable them to have a professional assessment of the framework plan carried out.
Pending the outcome of an appeal the destocking in the relevant framework plan will be implemented.