Eamon Scanlon
Ceist:207. Deputy Eamon Scanlon asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the status of an appeal by a person (details supplied) under the basic payment scheme. [28868/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraWednesday, 5 October 2016
Ceisteanna (207)
Freagraí scríofa
The person named submitted a 2015 Private Contract Clause application to my Department seeking the transfer of land and entitlements by lease as transferee. This application was not successful and the person named was notified in writing and offered the opportunity to have this decision reviewed. The request for review was received from the person named and following consideration of the information provided as part of this request for review, the original decision was upheld. The person named was notified of this decision in writing and offered the opportunity to submit a further appeal to the Agriculture Appeals Office.
The person named also 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. Records held by my Department show that the person named had commenced his agricultural activity prior to the eligible period and on this basis the application was not successful. The person named was notified in writing of this decision and was offered the opportunity to appeal the outcome.
My Department subsequently received an appeal from the person named regarding the decision in relation to his National Reserve and Young Farmers Scheme applications. This appeal was considered by my Department based on the information set out by the applicant and the original decision was upheld. The person named was notified of this outcome in writing as was 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 appeals and he will be notified in writing of the outcome once completed.