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Agriland
28 minutes ago
- General
- Agriland
How can farmers ensure they are compliant with schemes?
The Agriculture Appeals Office has offered advice to farmers to ensure they are compliant with the terms of certain farm schemes. Established in 2002, the office provides an appeals service to farmers who are not satisfied with decisions of the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (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, according to the office's annual report. 636 appeals were brought to a conclusion throughout the year, down from the 652 closed in 2023, but above the ten-year average of 628. Of the 636 appeals closed in 2024, 43% were allowed, partially allowed or revised, 44% were disallowed and 13% were withdrawn, invalid or out of time. As part of the annual report, the Agriculture Appeals Office published a series of recommendations for farmers to ensure scheme compliance. The office said that it is important that applicants familiarise themselves fully with the terms, conditions and guidelines of schemes before submitting their claims. "An appeals officer is required to adhere to the terms and conditions of a scheme and any relevant legislation in making a decision on an appeal. Where farmers are uncertain, they should consider engaging a professional advisor or other competent person to assist them in understanding the scheme rules and requirements," the report said. The office recommended that farmers familiarise themselves with the requirements of conditionality, which consists of Statutory Management Requirements (SMRs) and Good Agricultural and Environmental Condition (GAEC) in respect of the water, soil and biodiversity of ecosystems. It added that all farmers must be compliant with the legal requirements of the nitrates regulations. "Farmers should always be aware of storage requirements for their herd size and ensure that they meet the requirements in full. This is especially important where herd size is increasing," the report said. Certain conditionality penalties can have "significant implications". For example, any breach of the 170Kg/ha nitrogen (N) limit for those in the Organic Farming Scheme will cause a 100% penalty on payments. While certain conditionality breaches may result in an Agri-Climate Rural Environment Scheme (ACRES) action being deemed ineligible for payment. The office reminded farmers that appeals must be made within three months of the date of notification of the department's decision being appealed against. The report also lists specific recommendations for farmers in relation to individual schemes as follows: Complimentary Income Scheme Young Farmers (CISYF) A significant number of appeals are due to applications being rejected due to applicants failing to demonstrate financial and managerial control, in accordance with the CIS-YF terms and conditions; Farmers should be very clear that there is no transitional period, when moving from a joint bank account to a new bank account, where a young farmer is named. Targeted Agricultural Modernisation Schemes (TAMS) An applicant should only submit a payment claim after the actual payment is made. Applicants should always be aware that claim inspections/validations may in addition to invoices request bank statements, cheque/ electronic payments etc. to ensure that the TAMS payment claim was only submitted after the item was owned possessed and was fully paid for; Applicants should also be aware post-dated cheques, after the date of a payment claim, are not considered eligible payment. Organic Farming Scheme (OFS) The applicant is fully responsible for maintaining their organic licence and status, the Appeals Officer has no statutory role regards the awarding or withdrawal of an organic licence; OFS participants must remain aware that withdrawal of the organic licence by the department or by the organic certifying body, or allowing their organic licence to lapse, within the term of an OFS contract shall mean termination from the scheme and recoupment of all aid paid; The office said it has noted a perception that there is a derogation from the organic standards during the 2-year conversion period prior to full symbol organic status. Applicants should be aware that there is no derogation. The conversion period is an adjustment period for land/animals etc. and the costs associated with it are recognised in the OFS. The organics terms and conditions should make it clear that there is no derogation from organic standards during the conversion period. Areas of Natural Constraints (ANC) Applicants should familiarise themselves with the stocking density requirements, even in the event of herd restrictions; All applicants should be aware of new livestock unit (LU) values in place from the start of 2023, livestock unit values have reduced for certain categories of animals. Sheep and goat farmers should be vigilant in returning their Sheep/Goat Census and ensure their flock registers are up to date; ANC applicants should ensure that they: make an application (take care not to untick the 'tick box'), meet average annual stocking density and maintain 28 consecutive weeks stock retention period. Basic Income Support for Sustainability (BISS) Scheme
Agriland
31 minutes ago
- General
- Agriland
Ragwort Growing Outside Leinster House is a National Embarrassment Senator
Ragwort, which is currently listed in the Noxious Weeds Act, has been "spotted flourishing on the front lawn of Leinster House" according to a senator. The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) is responsible for overseeing the control and the prevention of the spread of certain weeds under the Noxious Weeds Act. Under the act it is an offence not to prevent the spread of ragwort, broad-leaved dock, creeping thistle, curled dock, spear thistle, spring wild oat and winter wild oat, and blackgrass. The owner, occupier, user, or managers of lands on which these weeds are present and not being controlled are subject to the provisions of the act, including a fine of up to €1,000 on conviction. DAFM has said it constantly engages with all county councils, local authorities, and the National Roads Authority (NRA) to ensure a "consistent programme of treatment and disposal of such weeds on an ongoing basis". However, the Independent Senator Aubrey McCarthy today (Tuesday, July 15) drew attention to the fact that ragwort is growing in front of Leinster House, which he described as "a shameful symbol of non-compliance". Senator McCarthy said: "If ragwort can flourish outside the very building where laws are made, it undermines our credibility and duty to uphold them." "We must act now this is no longer a rural issue. It's a national embarrassment. According to Teagasc, farmers must, under conditionality requirements, take "appropriate measures" to prevent the spread of noxious weeds under Good Agricultural and Environmental Condition (GAEC) number 8. " Failure to do so may result in the application of a reduction of their area-based payments," it has warned. Senator McCarthy said ragwort's bright yellow flowers may appear benign "but beneath its sunny facade lies a grave risk to Ireland's agricultural heritage and public health". "Ragwort contains toxic alkaloids that can fatally damage the livers of horses and cattle. Landowners face fines of up to €1,000 for failing to control its spread. "The plant's conspicuous presence on motorways, farmland, urban estates and now on the grounds of Leinster House, demands immediate enforcement and public awareness," the senator said.
Agriland
29-05-2025
- Business
- Agriland
The Farming Week: Future of CAP, tractors on motorways and fox hunting
The Farming Week: Future of CAP, tractors on motorways and fox hunting May 29, 2025 5:00 pm Charles O'Donnell and Aisling O'Brien bring you the biggest stories of the week in Irish agriculture from Agriland, which this week includes: The future for CAP; Court blocks Trump tariffs; Call for tractors to be banned from motorways; EPA notes 'some progress' made on agricultural emissions; GAEC 2 appeals system due shortly; TD seeks to ban fox hunting. Don't forget to rate, review and follow The Farming Week, Agriland's weekly review of Irish agriculture, and visit for more. *This podcast is sponsored by AXA Farm Insurance
Agriland
28-05-2025
- Politics
- Agriland
Heydon to meet joint agri committee for first time as DAFM minister
Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine Martin Heydon will appear in a public meeting of the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine today (Wednesday, May 28). This will be the first session of the committee that the minister will appear at in his role as the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine. Minister Heydon's previous appearances at the committee, in its previous iteration before the general election last year, were in his then role as minister for state with responsibility for new market development, farm safety, and research and development. This will be the first meeting of the current committee, post-general election, where it will carry out its role of scrutinising the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine and the ministers responsible for it. Previous meetings of the current committee dealt with its internal business, such as choosing a chairperson. A range of topics are set to come up at this evening's meeting, including the eradication of TB; the controversial GAEC (Good Agricultural and Environmental Condition) 2; broader issues on the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP); and the nitrates derogation. The meeting will take place in Committee Room 4 of Leinster House, and is scheduled to begin at 4:00p.m. The meeting can be viewed on the Oireachtas TV website. Speaking ahead of committee meeting, its chairperson, Fianna Fáil Cork North-West TD Aindrias Moynihan, said: 'Our committee looks forward to our first meeting tomorrow and very much welcomes this early opportunity to engage with Minister Heydon. 'We hope it will be the first in a series of meetings with the minister and we thank him for making time in his schedule to attend,' Moynihan added. The details of the membership of the committee were confirmed earlier this month. The committee has 14 members – nine TDs and five senators. The membership of each committee usually reflects the proportion of the seats held by each of the political parties in the houses of the Oireachtas. Oireachtas committees have the power to invite submissions; hold hearings with stakeholders and ministers; and draft and publish reports. The membership of the committee is as follows: TDs: Aindrias Moynihan (chairperson) – Cork North-West, Fianna Fáil; William Aird (deputy chairperson) – Laois, Fine Gael; Peter 'Chap' Cleere – Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fáil; Joe Cooney – Clare, Fine Gael; Michael Fitzmaurice – Roscommon-Galway, Independent Ireland; Danny Healy-Rae – Kerry, independent; Martin Kenny – Sligo-Leitrim, Sinn Féin; Paul Lawless – Mayo, Aontú; Natasha Newsome Drennan – Carlow-Kilkenny, Sinn Féin. Senators (all elected from Agricultural Panel): Victor Boyhan – independent; Paraic Brady – Fine Gael; Joanne Collins – Sinn Féin; Paul Daly – Fianna Fáil; Eileen Lynch – Fine Gael.
Agriland
26-05-2025
- Business
- Agriland
Heydon downplays GAEC 2 CAP flexibility for Irish farmers
Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine Martin Heydon has moved to downplay the importance to Irish farmers of the European Commission's decision to provide flexibility around the Good Agricultural and Environmental Conditions (GAEC), specifically GAEC 2. Minister Heydon told Agriland that the financial implication of the standard, which may impact farmers in some member states, 'isn't the case in Ireland'. GAEC 2 is the conditionality standard of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) related to the protection of peatlands and wetlands. It formally entered into force in early May. Earlier this month, the commission announced a raft of measures to simplify the current 2023-2027 CAP, including an allowance for member states to include disadvantages to farmers arising from the conditionality standard to be incorporated into calculations for payments for eco-schemes and agri-environmental measures. However, the minister had repeatedly said that the enforcement of GAEC 2 in Ireland will not change how Irish farmers farm day-to-day. For that reason, he indicated, the flexibility around the conditionality standard would not necessarily be of benefit to Irish farmers. He told Agriland: 'Whether [the GAEC 2 flexibility] will make a material difference to farmers' day-to-day lives, I'm not convinced of that. '[There] may be some flexibility around eco-schemes…in other countries where there's a financial implication. That isn't the case in Ireland. 'Farmers continue to be able to farm as they have done on a day-to-day basis under GAEC 2, so letters that those farmers received…still stand. Farmers don't have anything to fear from GAEC 2. It does not change their day-to-day activity,' Minister Heydon said. 'There won't be a raft of farmers who are impacted or fined as a result of any of the outcomes of GAEC 2,' he added. The minister expressed similar sentiments in response to a parliamentary question from Labour Party TD Robert O'Donoghue, who asked the minister to outline his position on the matter. The minister told O'Donoghue: 'It is important to note two points regarding the possibility of providing specific support measures under the [CAP Strategic Plan] for GAEC 2 requirements. First, Ireland's CAP strategic plan funding is already fully committed under the existing schemes and no new funding is available as part of the simplification proposals. 'Second, the GAEC 2 standard for Ireland, as recently introduced, is based on existing national legislation and usual farming practices,' he added.
