Billy Timmins
Question:30 Mr. Timmins asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food the composition and terms of reference of the de-stocking appeals board. [3971/03]
Written Answers. - Commonage Division.
The commonage framework plans appeals system is being operated jointly by my Department and Dúchas, the heritage service of the Department of the Environment and Local Government. With the agreement of the Minister for the Environment and Local Government I have asked Mr. Gerry Scully, chief sheep adviser with Teagasc, to act as chairman of the appeals committee. Nominees to the appeals committee are being sought from the farming organisations and from environmental bodies.
The basis of the appeals process will be a scientific reassessment of the original framework plans by other planning teams to be chosen by the farmers making the appeal. A contribution of up to €1,300 will be available towards the cost of each reassessment. Each reassessment will then be considered by the two Departments and, if it is not acceptable to them, it will be referred to the appeals committee. Appeals are confined to a reassessment of the scientific basis on which the original destocking arrangements were made by the framework planning teams, and only one appeal may be made against each framework plan. An appeal must have the support of at least 20% of the commonage shareholders covered by the plan in question who claimed area aid in 2002, although a simple majority of shareholders may overrule a request for an appeal.