163 complaints around agriculture made to Ombudsman last year
The Ombudsman received a total of 163 complaints about the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine from farmers across the country in 2020. Picture: David Creedon/Anzenberger.
A farmer who complained to the Ombudsman last year after the Department of Agriculture expelled him from GLAS was allowed back in after it was found that the Department had imposed the wrong penalty on him.
One of the criteria for receiving payments under the scheme is a requirement to spread slurry by low emissions equipment, and in the first year of the scheme, the man spread slurry but did not submit the relevant annual return.
The Department expelled him from the scheme, however, it was discovered that the farmer should have been issued with a late submission penalty, instead of expulsion.
When the Department allowed the farmer back into GLAS his payments were reinstated and he can receive GLAS payments in the future, providing he meets the relevant criteria.
The Department agreed to pay the man for most of the work he completed between 2017 and 2019 which amounted to approximately €10,500.
He was penalised for being late in submitting his returns and deducted €240 from his payment.
Meanwhile, this complaint was just one of 163 made to the Ombudsman - who is set to retire shortly - in 2020 about the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine.
Complaints about public services including those provided by government departments, local authorities and the HSE, remained high throughout last year despite the pandemic.
A total of 3,418 complaints were made by the public in 2020 - a drop of 6% from the 2019 figures, but the highest number since 2015.
The main complaints around agriculture included:
- Re-designation of Areas of Natural Constraints (70);
- GLAS (19);
- Basic Payment Scheme (13);
- Forestry Grants and Premiums Scheme (9).
In another complaint, a farmer who applied to the National Reserve (New Entrant) scheme had his application refused by the Department because he had not completed a specific education course by a particular date.
However, the Ombudsman said that there were exceptional circumstances which prevented the farmer from satisfying that specific condition of the Scheme.
Following consultation with the Department, it agreed to process the application and the farmer received a payment of almost €13,500.
