Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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1154. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the position regarding an agri-environment option scheme 3 in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Donegal; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36852/13]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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An application under the Agri-Environment Options Scheme from the person named was received in my Department on 4December 2012.

The process of ranking and selecting all AEOS applicants was clearly set out in the scheme documentation. Acceptance into the scheme was established using the pre-determined selection criteria as follows:

- farmers in the Boora region of Co. Offaly who chose Wild Bird Cover Option B (Grey Partridge) as one of their selected options,

- farmers with a minimum of 0.5 hectares of designated land,

- farm partnerships,

- farmers who previously participated in REPS commencing with smallest farms. and

- others based on farm size (again favouring smaller holdings).

Based on the funding available farmers in category 4 with 22.06 hectares of utilisable agricultural area and below were successful. Category 4 farmers with areas greater than this and all farmers in category 5 were unsuccessful. The person named comes under category 5 as he had not previously participated in REPS. On this basis a letter issued to the person named on 27 May informing him that he was not successful and setting out the reasons. The person was also informed of right of appeal to AEOS Section. An appeal was received from the person named and he has been advised that his appeal was unsuccessful. He has been informed of the right to appeal this decision to the Agriculture Appeals Office.