Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 25 October 2016
504. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the status of a farm payment in respect of a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31528/16]
View answerAn application under Tranche 1 of GLAS was received in my Department on the 19 May 2015 and the person named was approved as a Tier 2 participant for GLAS 1 having selected over 10 hectares of the Minimum Tillage action.
Subsequent to approval into the scheme my Department received correspondence from the Agricultural Advisor of the person named stating that the Minimum Tillage action had been incorrectly selected when submitting the GLAS application and requested that the Minimum Tillage action be withdrawn and substituted with the Low Input Permanent Pasture action.
The scheme Terms and Conditions only allow for the withdrawal of actions and all GLAS advisors were notified that no amendments could be made once the application is submitted. The withdrawal of the Minimum Tillage action negated the grounds on which this approval had been granted and therefore this application was accordingly deemed invalid.
The Agriculture Appeals Office has advised that an appeal was received in that office from the person named in relation to this decision. The case has been assigned to an Appeals Officer. As an oral hearing has not been requested in this case, the Appeals Officer will be in direct contact with the appellant in relation to the issues raised in the appeal and a decision letter from the Appeals Office will issue in writing thereafter.
