Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

My Department issued letters to 10,165 applicants under the 2011 disadvantaged areas scheme whose stocking density in 2011 was less than 0.3 livestock units per hectare, lu/ha. These letters informed farmers of their right to seek a derogation from the requirement of the 2012 disadvantaged areas scheme if they considered that they did not achieve a stocking density of 0.3 lu/ha or more in 2011 for reasons outside their control.

Grounds for the derogation include, among others, any of the following situations: a restriction on the stocking levels on the holding due to adherence to an agri-environment plan such as the rural environment protection scheme, REPS, the agri-environment options schemes, AEOS, or a National Parks and Wildlife Service, NPWS, plan; farming marginal land where the level of stock that can be maintained is restricted; illness or death in the family; an outbreak of animal disease in the herd; and the applicant is a new entrant to farming.

A copy of the application form was issued to all farmers written to by my Department in order to assist those applicants who wished to apply for a derogation. A tabular statement provides a breakdown of the applicants involved by the category of disadvantaged land declared, as requested by the Deputy.

To date, my Department has examined the applications from almost 7,400 of the 9,300 applications received for derogation. A tabular statement provides details of the decision made in each case broken down by category. The Deputy has the figures before him.

Additional information not given on the floor of the House.

To ensure that those applicants whose applications were not accepted by my Department were afforded an opportunity to appeal the decision, I established a disadvantaged areas scheme appeals committee comprising appeals officers from the agricultural appeals office and an independent chairman, Mr. Padraig Gibbons, to examine all appeals. To date, my Department has received almost 1,000 appeals and the appeals committee will shortly commence its review of all appeals. I assure the Deputy that these appeals will be dealt with as quickly as possible.

My Department is also continuing to process the remaining 1,900 applications for a derogation and applicants will be informed of the decision made in their cases as soon as their applications are processed or whether more information or documentation is needed before a determination can be made on the case.

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