Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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489. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when a decision will issue on an area environment option scheme III appeal lodged by a person in County Galway (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39846/13]

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 28^th November 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 predetermined 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).

The person named was a previous participant in REPS. Based on the funding available farmers in category 4 with 22.06 hectares of utilisable agricultural area and below were successful. As the farm size of the person named is 26.79, the application was unsuccessful. On 27^th May 2013, a letter issued to the person named informing him that he was not successful and setting out the reasons. The person was also informed of his 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.