Agriculture Appeals (Amendment) Act 2024
What is this act about?
This law, the Agriculture Appeals (Amendment) Act 2024, establishes a new review panel for agricultural appeals and amends existing laws related to agriculture and fisheries appeals. It aims to improve the review process for decisions made by appeals officers and addresses the disclosure of confidential information.
Who it applies to: Individuals appealing decisions made by agriculture appeals officers; Members of the Agriculture Appeals Review Panel and the Forestry Appeals Committee.
Deadlines:
- A party can request a revision of an appeals officer's decision within 6 months of the decision date.
- Unauthorised disclosure of confidential information by members of the Review Panel or Forestry Appeals Committee is an offence, punishable by fines up to €500,000 or imprisonment up to 3 years.
At a glance
- Country
- Ireland
- Area of law
- Environment and agriculture
- Articles
- 21
- Source
- irishstatutebook.ie
- Text retrieved
- Explanation updated
What does this act regulate?
- The establishment and function of the Agriculture Appeals Review Panel.
- The process for reviewing decisions made by appeals officers in agriculture.
- The conduct of oral hearings, including remote options, for appeals.
- Prohibitions and penalties for the unauthorised disclosure of confidential information by members of review bodies.
Who does this act apply to?
- Individuals appealing decisions made by agriculture appeals officers.
- Members of the Agriculture Appeals Review Panel and the Forestry Appeals Committee.
What are the key points?
- An Agriculture Appeals Review Panel is established to review decisions made by appeals officers.
- Oral hearings for appeals can now be held remotely by electronic means, with the agreement of the parties.
- A party can request a revision of an appeals officer's decision within 6 months of the decision date.
- Unauthorised disclosure of confidential information by members of the Review Panel or Forestry Appeals Committee is an offence, punishable by fines up to €500,000 or imprisonment up to 3 years.
Environment and agriculture
Legal text
Legal text
Agriculture Appeals (Amendment) Act 2024 Skip to content Disclaimer Feedback Helpdesk Gaeilge Léim go dtí an t-ábhar Séanadh Aiseolas Deasc chabhrach English Gaeilge English Produced by the Office of the Attorney General Táirgthe ag Oifig an Ard-Aighne Home Legislation Acts of the Oireachtas Statutory Instruments Pre-1922 Legislation Constitution External Resources Bills (Houses of the Oireachtas) Iris Oifigiúil / Official Gazette Revised Acts (LRC) Classified List of Legislation (LRC) Translations (acts.ie) Translations (Houses of the Oireachtas) Government Publications for Sale EU Law (EUR-Lex) FAQ Disclaimer Feedback Helpdesk Search Baile Reachtaíocht Achtanna an Oireachtais Ionstraimí Reachtúla Reachtaíocht Réamh-1922 Bunreacht Acmhainní Seachtracha Billí (Tithe an Oireachtais) Iris Oifigiúil Achtanna Athbhreithnithe (CAD) (An Coimisiún um Athchóiriú an Dlí) Liosta Rangaithe Reachtaíochta Aistriúcháin (achtanna.ie) Aistriúcháin (Tithe an Oireachtais) Foilseacháin Rialtais ar Díol Dlí AE (EUR-Lex) CCanna (Ceisteanna Coitianta) Séanadh Aiseolas Deasc chabhrach Cuardach TitleTeideal Year(s) or rangeBliain nó blianta nó raon TypeCineál All Legislation Acts Statutory Instruments Advanced SearchCuardach Casta HomeBaile ActsAchtanna 2024 Agriculture Appeals (Amendment) Act 2024 Agriculture Appeals (Amendment) Act 2024 Permanent Page URL View by SectionAmharc de réir Ailt View Full ActAmharc ar an Acht Iomlán Bill History Stair Bille Commencement, Amendments, SIs made under the Act Tosach Feidhme, Leasuithe, IRí arna ndéanamh faoin Acht Open PDFOscail PDF Print Full ActPriontáil an tAcht Iomlán Number 38 of 2024 AGRICULTURE APPEALS (AMENDMENT) ACT 2024 CONTENTS
PART 1
Preliminary and General Section
Section 1
Section 2
PART 2
Amendment of Act of 2001
Section 3
Section 4
Section 5
Section 6
Section 7
Section 8
Section 9
Section 10
Section 11
Section 12
Section 13
Section 14
Section 15
PART 3
Amendment of Fisheries (Amendment) Act 1997
Section 16
PART 1
Preliminary and General Short title, collective citation and commencement 1. (1) This Act may be cited as the Agriculture Appeals (Amendment) Act 2024.
Part 3
, and the Agriculture Appeals Acts 2001 to 2020 may be cited together as the Agriculture Appeals Acts 2001 to 2024.
Part 3
may be cited together as the Fisheries Acts 1959 to 2024.
Definition 2. In this Act, “Act of 2001” means the Agriculture Appeals Act 2001 .
PART 2
Amendment of Act of 2001 Amendment of section 1 of Act of 2001 3. Section 1(1) of the Act of 2001 is amended by the insertion of the following definitions: “ ‘Deputy Director’ means the Deputy Director of Agriculture Appeals designated under section 4; ‘party’, in relation to an appeal against a decision as to entitlement under a scheme set out in Schedule 1, means the appellant or the Minister; ‘Review Panel’ means the Agriculture Appeals Review Panel established under section 4A;”.
Amendment of section 4 of Act of 2001 4. The Act of 2001 is amended by the substitution of the following section for section 4: “4. One of the appeals officers shall be designated by the Minister to act as the deputy for the Director when the Director is not available and to perform any other function of the Director at the request of the Director.”.
Agriculture Appeals Review Panel 5. The Act of 2001 is amended by the insertion of the following section after section 4: “4A. (1) The Minister shall establish an Agriculture Appeals Review Panel.
Amendment of section 8 of Act of 2001 6. Section 8 of the Act of 2001 is amended— (a) by the insertion of the following subsection after subsection (2): “(2A) An oral hearing may be heard— (a) in person, or (b) subject to the agreement of the parties, remotely by electronic means.”, and (b) by the insertion of the following subsection after subsection (5): “(6) An appeals officer may consider and determine an appeal notwithstanding— (a) the failure of a party to cooperate when an appeals officer is arranging an oral hearing, or (b) the failure of a party or any other person to attend an oral hearing to give evidence or be examined in relation to the appeal.”.
Amendment of section 9 of Act of 2001 7. Section 9(3) of the Act of 2001 is amended by the substitution of “10, 10A” for “10”.
Amendment of section 10 of Act of 2001 8. Section 10 of the Act of 2001 is amended— (a) by the insertion of the following subsection after subsection (1): “(1A) A revision may be made under subsection (1) only if requested by a party to the appeal during the period of 6 months beginning with the date on which the decision of the appeals officer was given.”, (b) by the deletion of subsection (2), and (c) by the insertion of the following subsections after subsection (3): “(4) An appeals officer revising a decision under this section shall send written notice of the revised decision to the parties to the appeal.
Revised decisions by Review Panel 9. The Act of 2001 is amended by the insertion of the following section after section 10: “10A. (1) The Review Panel may conduct a review of— (a) a decision of an appeals officer under section 7(4), or (b) a revised decision of an appeals officer under section 10, and may revise the decision concerned.
Amendment of section 11 of Act of 2001 10. The Act of 2001 is amended by the substitution of the following section for section 11: “11. (1) A party to an appeal may appeal any of the following decisions to the High Court on a question of law: (a) a decision of an appeals officer under section 7(4); (b) a revised decision of an appeals officer under section 10; (c) a revised decision of the Review Panel under section 10A, including a decision of the Review Panel not to revise a decision.
Amendment of section 14 of Act of 2001 11. Section 14 of the Act of 2001 is amended— (a) in subsection (1), after “appeals officers” by the insertion of “and the Review Panel”, and (b) in subsection (3), after “appeals officers” by the insertion of “and the Review Panel”.
Prohibition on unauthorised disclosure of confidential information 12. The Act of 2001 is amended by the insertion of the following section after section 14F: “14G. (1) A person shall not disclose confidential information obtained in connection with acting as— (a) chairperson, deputy chairperson or ordinary member of the Review Panel, or (b) chairperson, deputy chairperson or other member of the Forestry Appeals Committee.
Amendment of section 15 of Act of 2001 13. Section 15 of the Act of 2001 is amended by the insertion of the following subsections after subsection (2): “(3) Without prejudice to the generality of any other provision of this Act, the Minister may make regulations to provide for all or any of the following: (a) the procedure and practice in relation to oral hearings under section 8, and any other hearing under this Act (including, in particular, provisions enabling the management of hearings whether as to number and conduct of witnesses or representatives or otherwise); (b) the form and manner of provision of a statement of grounds for a request for a review to be conducted by the Review Panel; (c) the form and manner of provision of documents and evidence to the Review Panel; (d) the form and manner of making of requests by the Review Panel for information from a party or the appeals officer who made the decision which is the subject of a review by the Review Panel; (e) procedures for reviews to be consolidated and heard together; (f) procedures for the separation of reviews; (g) procedures for the withdrawal of reviews; (h) any other consequential or supplementary matters.
Amendment of Act of 2001 – insertion of Schedule 3 14. The Act of 2001 is amended by the insertion of the following Schedule after Schedule 2: “SCHEDULE 3 AGRICULTURE APPEALS REVIEW PANEL
Part 1
GOVERNANCE Composition 1. The Review Panel shall consist of the following members— (a) a chairperson, (b) at least 5 ordinary members, and (c) the Director, or the Deputy Director if designated by the Director.
Appointment 2. (1) The chairperson and ordinary members shall be appointed by the Minister.
Deputy chairpersons 3. The Minister may designate one or more ordinary members to perform the functions of a deputy chairperson of the Review Panel.
Tenure 4. The chairperson shall hold office for the period of 3 years beginning with the date of appointment.
Resignation 7. (1) The chairperson or an ordinary member may resign from office by giving at least 30 days notice in writing to the Minister.
Dismissal from office or cessation of term of office 8. (1) The Minister may remove the chairperson or an ordinary member from office if the Minister is of the opinion that— (a) the chairperson or member has become incapable, through ill health or otherwise, of effectively performing the functions of office, (b) the chairperson or member has committed stated misbehaviour, (c) it is necessary to remove the chairperson or member to enable the Review Panel to perform its functions effectively, (d) the chairperson or member has a conflict of interest of such significance that he or she should cease to hold office, or (e) the chairperson or member is otherwise unfit to hold the office or unable to discharge his or her functions.
Casual vacancies 10. (1) This paragraph applies where the chairperson or an ordinary member dies, resigns, ceases to be qualified for office or is removed from office.
Terms and conditions of office 11. The chairperson and an ordinary member shall hold office upon such terms and conditions as may be determined by the Minister, with the consent of the Minister for Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform (subject to the provisions of this Act).
Remuneration and Allowances 12. The Minister may, with the consent of the Minister for Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform, pay to the chairperson and ordinary members such remuneration as the Minister may determine.
Part 2
PROCEEDINGS Meetings 14. (1) The Review Panel shall hold any meetings necessary for the performance of its functions.
Decisions 15. (1) Decisions of the Review Panel shall be determined by a majority of the votes of the members present.
Divisions
Section 17
Correspondence with parties
Section 18
Section 19
Independence
Section 20
Conflicts of interest
Section 21
Transitional provisions 15. (1) The Act of 2001 shall have effect as amended by this Part on and after the commencement date in respect of a pre-commencement decision if immediately before the commencement date— (a) no request has been made for revision of the decision by an appeals officer under section 10(1) of the Act of 2001 or by the Director under section 10(2) of that Act, (b) a request for revision of the decision by an appeals officer under section 10(1) of the Act of 2001 has been made but not determined, or (c) a request for revision of the decision by the Director under section 10(2) of the Act of 2001 has been made but not determined (in which case the Director shall make administrative arrangements to transfer the request to the Review Panel for consideration under section 10A of that Act).
PART 3
Amendment of Fisheries (Amendment) Act 1997 Amendment of section 24 of Fisheries (Amendment) Act 1997 16.
Section 24
of the Fisheries (Amendment) Act 1997 is amended— (a) in subsection (1), by the substitution of the following paragraph for paragraph (a): “(a) the Chairperson shall hold office for such period, not exceeding five years, as shall be specified by the Government when appointing the Chairperson, and may be re-appointed for a second or subsequent term of office, and”, and (b) by the deletion of subsection (3).
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