Niamh Smyth (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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808. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if an appeal by a person (details supplied) will be reviewed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5817/22]

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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I inform the Deputy that the Agriculture Appeals Office operates independently of my Department.

I have been informed that an appeal was received by the Agriculture Appeals Office from the person named in October 2021. Following receipt of the appeal, the Agriculture Appeals Office wrote to the person named to request further documentation in order to progress the appeal.

Once the documentation has been received, the appeal will be progressed as promptly as possible.

Niamh Smyth (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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809. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of farm appeals that have been lodged and are awaiting decision; the average waiting time for such appeals; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5818/22]

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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I inform the Deputy that the Agriculture Appeals Office operates independently of my Department. The Office has responsibility for agriculture appeals and also provides administrative and secretariat support to the Forestry Appeals Committee (FAC) which was established in February 2018. In addition to their agriculture appeal functions, Appeals Officers are also appointed as members of the FAC.

The Agriculture Appeals Office publishes an Annual Report each year which includes statistical information on all appeals. The reports can be found at the following link: www.agriappeals.gov.ie/publications/annualreports/.

I have been advised that the records of the Agriculture Appeals Office indicate the number of agriculture appeals received in 2021 was 809. I am informed that there are currently 755 open agriculture appeals. The number of appeals received has increased in the past two years from 570 in 2019 to 760 in 2020 and 809 in 2021. In addition, the number of forestry appeals increased in 2019 and 2020 and this had a significant impact on the resources of the Appeals Office.

The Agriculture Appeals Office has set itself a target of three months for closure of an appeal from the time of receipt of the Department file documents. Certain circumstances may result in appeals not being completed within that target time frame. In addition to the impact of COVID-19 and Forestry Appeals commitments, the reasons for appeals being closed outside the three months period varies and can include delays in agreeing dates for oral hearings with all parties, complexity of cases, legal issues, time taken by appellants and/or the Department to revert with additional information requested, and resource capacity.

During 2021, there was an increased demand on resources due to the backlog of Forestry appeals, which I am informed has since been resolved. COVID restrictions also contributed to delays as oral hearings could not be held during certain periods within the year, and a high level of postponements at short notice due to close contacts and other COVID related matters. As published in the 2020 Annual Report of the Appeals Office, the average time taken to close an appeal was 103 days from date of receipt of the Department file, for appeals received in 2020.

The statistics in relation to 2021 are not yet available but will be published in the 2021 Annual Report later this year. I understand that the Appeals Office expects the situation with regard to time taken to complete appeals to regularise during 2022 with the relaxation of the COVID restrictions and a reduction in the number forestry appeals which frees up more resources to deal with agriculture appeals.