Rose Conway-Walsh (Mayo, Sinn Fein)
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2461. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if his attention has been drawn to the fact that his Department is challenging a decision made by the Agriculture Appeals Office in relation to a person (details supplied); his views on whether the challenging of decisions made by the office by his Department undermines the independent mandate of Agriculture Appeals Office; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18583/21]

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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The person named applied successfully for GLAS 3 with a contract commencement date of 1st January 2017. The participant was selected for an on-farm inspection on 13th December 2018 and was notified of the inspection findings by letter dated 15th May 2019. On foot of this inspection, the contract was rejected due to the minimum area of the Wild Bird Cover action not being reached.

The person named submitted a request for a review of the inspection findings and the original decision to reject the application was upheld.

An appeal of this decision was submitted to the Agricultural Appeals Office. The Agricultural Appeals Office decision letter issued on 16th July 2020, partially allowing the appeal.

A review by the Director of Agriculture Appeals Office of the decision of the Appeals Officer has been requested in this case in accordance with the provisions of Section 10 the Agriculture Appeals Act, 2001. It is very rare that the Department seeks such a review unless it believes the appeal decision is based on an erroneous interpretation.

The Director of the Agriculture Appeals Office will notify the person named directly, in writing, when this review is complete. Any decision of the Director is accepted as final by the Department.