The president of the Irish Creamery and Milk Suppliers’ Association (ICMSA), Denis Drennan has said that the independence of the Agricultural Appeals Review Panel will be “essential”.
“Certain conditions” are necessary if the independence of the panel is to be “recognised and unquestioned”, he said ahead of addressing a committee meeting tomorrow (Thursday, February 22).
The Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine will begin pre-legislative scrutiny of the general scheme of the Agriculture Appeals (Amendment) Bill 2024 tomorrow.
The legislation drafted by government will allow for the establishment of the Agricultural Appeals Review Panel.
The appeals review panel may revise any decision of an appeals officer or any revised decision made by an appeals officer if it appears that the decision was erroneous.
ICMSA
Drennan said that, every year, the association deals with members who have sanctions imposed on them under various DAFM schemes and who appeal the decision.
“This is a hugely stressful process for many farmers with the loss of income amongst other issues,” the ICMSA president said ahead of the committee meeting.
“In the context of the amendment being proposed, it is just essential that farmers have confidence in the new system and that the decisions taken are fair and reasonable.
“And to that end, ICMSA believes that several specific measures would greatly help instil that farmer confidence in the new regime,” Drennan said.
At a time when “farmers need to feel confidence that agricultural appeals will be heard fairly and relatively promptly”, the ICMSA proposed the following to considered for the panel:
- ICMSA believes it is essential that there is adequate farmer representation on the review panel;
- Under the proposed legislation, the agriculture minister appoints members of the panel, but there is no specific reference to farm representation;
- The panel should have the power to set its own regulations while respecting national and EU laws;
- Under the draft bill, the minister may set down regulations and ICMSA considers this to be a “retrograde” step;
- If the panel is to be independent, it should have the power to set down its own rules and procedures and not be dictated to by the minister;
- The panel should have the power to elect its own deputy chair and not by ministerial appointment, as proposed in the draft legislation;
- A six-month timeframe for a decision on an appeal should be set down in the legislation.
The ICMSA urges Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Charlie McConalogue and the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) to take on board their proposals.
“We badly need to rebuild farmer confidence in the whole system of government interaction with farmers from its present unsustainably low level,” the ICMSA president said.
The Irish Farmers’ Association (IFA), the Irish Cattle and Sheep Farmers’ Association (ICSA) and the Irish Natural and Hill Farmers’ Association (INHFA) will also discuss the bill tomorrow.