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Disadvantaged Areas Scheme Appeals

Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 19 November 2013

Tuesday, 19 November 2013

Questions (589)

Patrick O'Donovan

Question:

589. Deputy Patrick O'Donovan asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of appeals submitted to the disadvantaged areas scheme appeal committee by way of the minimum stock density derogation application for the years 2009, 2010, 2011 and 2012; and of the appeals received the numbers successful. [49141/13]

View answer

Written answers

I established the DAS Appeals Committee to deal with appeals from those farmers who were adversely affected by the changes to the Terms and Conditions governing the 2012 Disadvantaged Areas Scheme, specifically the requirement to have achieved a minimum stocking density on their holding of 0.3 livestock units per forage hectare and were dissatisfied with my Department’s adjudication on their appeals.

It will be recalled that, arising from the 2012 budgetary process, savings needed to be found in my Department’s expenditure. Accordingly, it was necessary to adjust the Disadvantaged Areas Scheme. However, rather than simply apply an across the board cut to the rates payable or reduce the maximum payable area, I decided that real efforts should be made to focus the Scheme on those farmers who are most actively contributing to achieving the aims of the Scheme, namely:

- ensuring continued agricultural land use, thereby contributing to the maintenance of viable rural communities;

- maintaining the countryside; and

- maintaining and promoting sustainable farming systems, which take account of environmental protection measures.

Provision was made for an appeals process to take account of a variety of situations, specifically:

- Restriction on the stocking levels on the holding due to adherence to an agri-environments plan such as REPS, AEOS or National Parks and Wildlife Service plan.

- Farming marginal land where the level of stock that can be maintained is restricted.

- Illness or death in family.

- Outbreak of animal disease in the herd.

- New entrant to farming.

At the same time, I was also determined that those adversely affected by the 2012 changes should be afforded the opportunity to appeal, where they could show legitimate reasons for their inability to meet the new requirements. In total, my Department wrote to in excess of 10,000 beneficiaries under the 2011 Disadvantaged Areas Scheme whose holdings had not achieved the minimum stocking density of 0.3 livestock units per forage hectare as required under the Terms and Conditions of the 2012 Scheme.

In response, my Department received a total of 9,829 derogation applications of which 7,414 were successful. Those, whose applications were unsuccessful, were informed of their right of appeal to the independently chaired DAS Appeals Committee, on foot of which 1,574 appeals were received. On the basis of additional information which had not previously been submitted, my Department was in a position to overturn the original decision on 614 cases, without the need to refer the cases to the DAS Appeals Committee. Of the appeals submitted to the Committee, decisions have been taken in respect of 960 cases, of which 413 were allowed, 547 disallowed.

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