In its first full year of operation, the Agriculture Appeals Office received 1,143 appeals across 18 schemes, the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture and Food was told yesterday.
Paul Dillon, appeals office director, told the committee this represented 0.2 per cent of the 628,000 applications for grants from farmers that year.
He said 38 per cent of all appeals were either allowed, partially allowed or revised by the Department and that 54 per cent were disallowed.
"Unsuccessful appellants have the right to bring their case to the Office of the Ombudsman and in 2003, 46 cases were referred there but no recommendation to change a decision of the appeals office was issued by the Ombudsman," he said.
Mr Dillon predicted a decline in the number of appeals from 2005 onwards as a result in the drop in grant applications from farmers because of the Single Payment System.
Mr Dillon agreed to inform Minister for Agriculture and Food Mary Coughlan of the committee's recommendation that the closing date for receipt of single payment forms, May 16th, should be extended to allow farmers more time to apply.