Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 19 October 2021
929. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the progress made to date in respect of the establishment of an independent agriculture appeals review panel in line with a commitment under the Programme for Government; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50722/21]
View answerA Review of the Agriculture Appeals Act 2001 and operations at the Agriculture Appeals Office was completed in December 2017. The Review Committee included a recommendation that, where an appellant is not satisfied with the decision of an appeals officer, he or she can seek a review of that decision from an independent Agriculture Appeals Review Panel.
The Review Committee recommended the panel consist of an independent chairperson, the director of the Agriculture Appeals Office and additional members with technical and practical expertise.
The recommendation for an independent Agriculture Appeals Review Panel is a key priority for the current Government. The Programme for Government; Our Shared Future (2020) includes a commitment to “establish an Independent Agriculture Appeals Review Panel in legislation, as a priority, and ensure that the panel includes participants with practical knowledge and experience of farming”.
This and other recommendations contained in the Review will require a change to primary legislation prior to implementation.
Work is ongoing to implement this and other recommendations contained in the review report and I have met with both the Director and Deputy Director of the Agriculture Appeals Office in this regard and am scheduled to have a further meeting in the coming days. Their work on the entirety of the review recommendations has been extensive and has included recent consultations with relevant stakeholders including the farming representative bodies.
Recommendations contained in the Review Report that have already been put in place include the appointment of the Deputy Director, bespoke legal training for Appeals Officers and the holding of case conferences with Appeals Officers, engagement with the farm bodies involved in the Farmer’s Charter of Rights Monitoring Committee which took place again recently, and the holding of remote oral hearings.
Continuing this work is a top priority of mine.
