Appeal finds 'insufficient' notification of SCEP changes
The finding was made following an appeal lodged by a farmer who said he was not aware of the change in the terms and conditions when he was applying for the scheme.
During an oral hearing, the farmer explained that he had set his programme reference in accordance with the original terms and conditions and as set out by the department at SCEP information meetings.
The farmer said there was no indication on the terms and conditions of their date of publication, while the version on the DAFM website did not state it was an amended version.
The farmer added that there was no reason to suspect that an amendment had been included relating to the calculation of the programme reference.
The department stated that the original terms and conditions for SCEP, published on March 21, 2023, allowed new entrants to declare a programme reference and yearly reference of their own choosing at application stage.
The oral hearing was told that the farmer who had made the appeal chose a reference of 100.
DAFM said the terms of the scheme were amended on May 11, 2023 and stated that the programme reference chosen by the new entrant should reflect the number of eligible suckler cows that they estimate will produce an eligible calf in scheme year 1.
The department informed the herdowner that his reference number was reduced to 63.
DAFM noted that the minister for agriculture has the right to alter terms and conditions and that the amended version was uploaded to the department website and that updated instructionswere given on the online application.
In deciding to allow the farmer's appeal, the appeals officer said that the information provided by the department was not consistent between information meetings, the original terms and conditions and the online application instructions.
"Notification to stakeholders was insufficient and the lack of dated versions of the terms and conditions made it difficult to identify amendments.
"Both farmers and their advisors worked on the basis of the information provided at the information meetings and were not aware of the amendment," the Agriculture Appeals Office annual report said.
Established in 2002, the Agriculture Appeals Office provides an appeals service to farmers who are not satisfied with decisions of DAFM concerning designated schemes operated by the department.
483 appeals were made by farmers in relation to farm schemes in 2024, down from 624 in the previous year. SCEP was the scheme with the highest number of appeals last year at 104.
This was followed by 67 appeals for the Basic Income Support for Sustainability (BISS) Scheme and 47 each for the Targeted Agriculture Modernisation Scheme (TAMS) and the Shannon Callows Flood Scheme.
Of the appeals which were allowed or partially allowed in 2024, 36 were SCEP appeals, 25 related to the Basic Payment Scheme (BPS) and 23 were for TAMS. Among the appeals that were disallowed there were 78 related to SCEP.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Agriland
5 hours ago
- Agriland
Almost E440000 Issued Under Horticulture Investment Scheme
Scheme opened in wake of unprecedented levels of damage from Storm Éowyn. The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) has paid out around€440,000 under the Scheme of Investment Aid for the Development of the Commercial Horticulture Sector this year. The scheme aims to help in the development of the Irish horticulture sector, including beekeeping, by grant aiding capital investments in specialised plant and equipment. The scheme reopened for applications in February following Storm Éowyn which resulted in unprecedented levels of damage for some growers in the horticulture sector. Minister of State with responsibility for horticulture Michael Healy-Rae recently told Sinn Féin TD Conor D. McGuinness that a total of 164 applications had been approved by July 17, resulting in €438,645 in payments. However, the minister said this figure does "not represent total amounts for 2025". He also reminded scheme applicants that they have until October 31, 2025 to complete their projects and submit their completed claims for payment. The following table provides an update on the number of approvals and the amounts paid up to July 17 under the Scheme of Investment Aid for the Development of the Commercial Horticulture Sector: County Number of approvals Amount paid to July 17 Carlow 3 €16,400 Cavan 2 - Clare 2 - Cork 12 €18,458 Donegal 6 - Galway 9 - Kerry 8 €1,841 Kildare 8 - Kilkenny 5 €197,200 Laois 2 - Limerick 6 - Longford 2 - Louth 9 - Mayo 1 - Meath 11 €5,103 Monaghan 4 - Offaly 2 - Tipperary 7 - Waterford 5 - Westmeath 3 - Wexford 18 €17,413 Wicklow 5 €8,880 Total 164 €438,645 Source: DAFM The minister also confirmed that €15,859 has been paid out to date under the schemes providing investment aid for innovation and diversification in horticulture These measures provide grant aid for capital investments in specialised plant and equipment to micro and by funding fundamental studies, industrial studies, and experimental development and feasibility studies. So far, the department has approved 13 application for the schemes from counties Cork (2); Dublin (2); Kilkenny (1); Limerick (1); Monaghan (3); Tipperary (2), and Wexford (2). Minister Healy-Rae said that applicants have until November 1, 2025 to complete their approved projects and submit their claim for payment to the department.
Agriland
9 hours ago
- Agriland
Irish Grain Growers Group Meets Minister Heydon on Budget 2026
Representatives of the Irish Grain Growers' Group (IGGG) met recently with Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Martin Heydon to discuss the stakeholder organisation's priorities for Budget 2026. An IGGG spokesperson told Agriland: 'We had a very positive engagement with the minister and his officials. 'This was particularly the case where our proposals to secure future tax amendments for tillage sector are concerned. 'A follow-up meeting on these matters involving department of agriculture officials and IGGG representatives will take place over the coming weeks." The spokesperson added: 'There is general agreement that the tillage sector can play a key role in delivering higher levels of sustainability across Irish agriculture as a whole. And this must be fully reflected in government policy.' IGGG's leadership team will be lobbying strongly over the coming weeks and months on the issues of Budget 2026 and the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) review proposals, recently published by the European Commission in Brussels. 'The CAP review will be of deep concern to every tillage farmer in Ireland,' the IGGG representative continued. 'The proposals on the table are totally unacceptable." The spokesperson said that If the proposals are implemented, they will "further reduce the core support funding levels available to the crops' sector". 'It really is a case of 'here we go again'. This is the third consecutive review of the CAP that will act to suck funding away from tillage. 'It started with the decision to introduce a process of conversion within the basic payment model at the CAP review before last. "And what's on the table now is a continuation of this process. This is totally unacceptable.' Meanwhile, Harvest 2025 continues apace. This week will see tillage farmers continue with the cutting of winter oats and oilseed rape crops with winter wheat and spring cereals to follow. IGGG is confirming that harvest 2025 yields should be in line a five-year average figure. Straw - certainly where winter cereals are concerned - is of high quality with regular customers doing deals similar to last season. Yield of straw in spring barley looks like, at this point, will be back on last year's levels. There is also the prospect of early-sown spring barley crops being harvested this week . However, a key issue – specifically with regard to the prospects for malting barley - has arisen. According to the IGGG representative: 'It has been made known to us that some merchants with ties to Boortmalt have placed a quota of 1.9t/ac on the malting barley intakes they will accept this year. 'This is irrespective of what quantities of barley delivered actually meet the malting criteria. So, in cases, let's say, where growers are achieving certified barley yields of 3t/ac, this means that 1.1t will be sent for feed. It's a totally unacceptable situation. 'Tirlán and Dairygold have stated that malting barley contracts will not be cut for the 2025 season.'
Agriland
13 hours ago
- Agriland
Almost E5 4m Paid Out Under Woodland Improvement Scheme
Grants of up to €1,200/ha are available under the DAFM woodland scheme. The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) has paid out nearly €5.4 million under the Woodland Improvement Scheme since 2015. The scheme provides a range of supports to forest owners to sustainably manage the potential of their forests, with the aim of fulfilling current and future relevant demands for wood and non-wood products. Under the current Woodland Improvement Scheme, grants of up to €1,200/ha are available for five different measures: Thinning and tending; Agroforestry maintenance; Continuous cover forestry (CCF); Coppice and coppice with standards; and Seed stand management. Minister of State with responsibility for forestry, Michael Healy-Rae added that the scheme aims to "support the growing of high quality and high-value round wood timber for the timber industry while also delivering on the provision of ecosystem services such as biodiversity, soil, water protection". The minister recently confirmed to Sinn Féin TD Conor D. McGuinness that a total of €5,394,336 was paid under the Woodland Improvement Scheme in the period from 2015 to June 30, 2025. According to the data, the highest annual amount paid out under the scheme was in 2020 when €745,457 was issued. Last year, some €273,000 was issued to participating forest owners, which is down from the €378,220 paid out in 2023. Up to June 30 this year, a total of €132,769 had been issued to forest owners under the scheme. The following table provides a county-by-county breakdown of how much has been paid out under the Woodland Improvement Scheme from 2015 to June 30, 2025: County WIS total payments Carlow €81,669 Cavan €186,920 Clare €151,985 Cork €469,884 Donegal €75,094 Dublin €19,773 Galway €110,034 Kerry €164,057 Kildare €216,526 Kilkenny €355,467 Laois €231,481 Leitrim €68,535 Limerick €187,953 Longford €95,525 Louth €35,835 Mayo €70,703 Meath €483,524 Monaghan €61,862 Offaly €450,520 Roscommon €51,557 Sligo €56,091 Tipperary €677,019 Waterford €131,370 Westmeath €481,797 Wexford €214,801 Wicklow €264,345 Total €5,394,336 Source: DAFM The data shows that Tipperary was the county with the highest total payment under the scheme since 2015, with €677,000. The Premier County is followed by counties Meath (€483,000), Westmeath (€481,000), Cork (€469,000) and Offaly (€450,000). The lowest payments were made to Dublin (€19,773), Louth (€35,000), and Roscommon (€51,000).
