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.
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. These appeals have largely been processed, with the residue of cases expected to be finalised in the coming weeks.
It will be seen, therefore, that those adversely affected by the changes to the 2012 Scheme Terms and Conditions were afforded reasonable access to an appeal process; where initial derogation appeals were unsuccessful, the farmers concerned were advised of the right of appeal to the independently-chaired DAS Appeals Committee, with recourse ultimately to the Office of the Ombudsman.
