The Department of Agriculture is writing to nearly 100,000 farmers in Areas of Natural Constraints to inform them of the outcome of last week’s review, with 760 losing payments under the €250m scheme.
Others may have lost eligibility on some of their land, but will not lose out financially because they were over the 30ha to 34ha ANC ceiling.
They can ask for detailed reasons for the exclusion of their townland, and appeal to a new appeals committee now being established with an independent chair supported by an technical adviser. The chair “will have to be somebody who can be acceptable to all stakeholders,” Department assistant secretary Paul Dillon told the Oireachtas on Tuesday.
The first appeals are expected to be heard early in the new year and farmers in the process will be allowed to tick the ANC box in their payment application next May. “The critical time is for us to have all appeals processed in time for payment in autumn 2019,” Dillon said.
Farmers who were hoping to gain eligibility, but did not, can also appeal – though they will not receive a letter and must initiate contact themselves. After meeting Department officials, IFA rural development chair Joe Brady said: “They are open to the idea that there might be successful appeals.”
EU rules
Each case will examine how EU rules were applied – first biophysical criteria on soil and climate, then “finetuning” to remove areas deemed to have overcome poor conditions, and finally additional criteria such as Natura environmental designation and farm fragmentation.
IFA representatives taking part in a special meeting on the issue said “it is all about appeals now” and called for permission for farmers to be accompanied by advisers during the process.
Read more
Budget is next ANC battle
'Left out again'- farmers to appeal ANC eligibility
ANC appeals clock is ticking
Over 2,000 new areas in ANC map
New ANC map: is your farm included?
98% of ANC land to remain eligible
The Department of Agriculture is writing to nearly 100,000 farmers in Areas of Natural Constraints to inform them of the outcome of last week’s review, with 760 losing payments under the €250m scheme.
Others may have lost eligibility on some of their land, but will not lose out financially because they were over the 30ha to 34ha ANC ceiling.
They can ask for detailed reasons for the exclusion of their townland, and appeal to a new appeals committee now being established with an independent chair supported by an technical adviser. The chair “will have to be somebody who can be acceptable to all stakeholders,” Department assistant secretary Paul Dillon told the Oireachtas on Tuesday.
The first appeals are expected to be heard early in the new year and farmers in the process will be allowed to tick the ANC box in their payment application next May. “The critical time is for us to have all appeals processed in time for payment in autumn 2019,” Dillon said.
Farmers who were hoping to gain eligibility, but did not, can also appeal – though they will not receive a letter and must initiate contact themselves. After meeting Department officials, IFA rural development chair Joe Brady said: “They are open to the idea that there might be successful appeals.”
EU rules
Each case will examine how EU rules were applied – first biophysical criteria on soil and climate, then “finetuning” to remove areas deemed to have overcome poor conditions, and finally additional criteria such as Natura environmental designation and farm fragmentation.
IFA representatives taking part in a special meeting on the issue said “it is all about appeals now” and called for permission for farmers to be accompanied by advisers during the process.
Read more
Budget is next ANC battle
'Left out again'- farmers to appeal ANC eligibility
ANC appeals clock is ticking
Over 2,000 new areas in ANC map
New ANC map: is your farm included?
98% of ANC land to remain eligible
This is a subscriber-only article
SHARING OPTIONS: