Michael Healy-Rae (Kerry, Independent)
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185. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the status of an appeal under the national reserve and young farmers scheme by a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38001/16]

Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
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The person named 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. The applications were not successful as the applicant was not the registered owner of the herd number at the time of the application. The applicant was notified of this decision and was offered the opportunity to submit an appeal.

My Department subsequently received an appeal from the person named in relation to the National Reserve and Young Farmers Scheme applications. This appeal was considered based on the information set out by the applicant and the original decision was upheld. The person named was notified of the outcome of the appeal and 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 further appeals. The Agricultural Appeals Office is currently finalising arrangements to manage such appeal cases and the person named will be notified of the outcome of his appeal as soon as possible once completed.