Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 15 June 2004
159 Mr. J. Breen asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food the reason a person (details supplied) in County Clare was forced to withdraw from organic farming due to difficulties in securing supply and market for their produce. [17317/04]
Amharc ar fhreagraIt is a condition of the rural environment protection scheme that a participant who opts for the organic farming supplementary measure must hold an organic licence for the period of his or her REP scheme contract and have his or her operations inspected annually by one of three approved private inspection bodies. The person named did not renew his organic licence in 2004 with the relevant inspection body. As he did not hold a valid organic licence for the duration of his REP scheme contract, my Department had no alternative but to terminate his participation in the supplementary measure and recoup the payment made under it.
The person named has already appealed this decision to the agriculture appeals office and I understand that his appeal was unsuccessful. The agriculture appeals office is statutorily independent of my Department.
