Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 17 January 2017
1419. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the status of an appeal on a decision on a farm payment in respect of a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1072/17]
View answerThe person named submitted applications under the ‘young farmer’ category of the 2015 National Reserve and the Young Farmers Scheme. The Terms and Conditions governing the operation of these schemes state that in order to qualify as a ‘young farmer’, a person must be setting up an agricultural holding for the first time in his/her name or have set up such a holding during the five years preceding the first submission of the BPS application. The applications were not successful as the applicant was not the registered owner of the herd number at the time of the application. The applicant was notified of this decision and was offered the opportunity to submit an appeal.
My Department subsequently received an appeal from the person named in relation to the National Reserve and Young Farmers Scheme applications. This appeal was considered based on the information set out by the applicant and the original decision was upheld. The person named was notified of the outcome of the appeal and offered the opportunity to submit a further appeal to the Basic Payment Scheme Appeals Committee in respect of the National Reserve application and to the Agriculture Appeals Office in respect of the Young Farmers Scheme application. The person named has submitted these further appeals. The Agricultural Appeals Office has recently finalised arrangements to manage such appeals and the person named has been notified in writing of this development. The Agricultural Appeals Office will be in contact with the person named shortly.
