Calls for independent panel to include mental health experts Calls have been made for Northern Ireland’s Review of Decisions independent panel to include mental health experts for all cases with a mental health element. The independent panel was established in 2001 with the aim of providing farmers with an impartial and transparent review of scheme decisions against the framework of EU and national framework and scheme rules. However, several witnesses to the Stormont Agriculture Committee have commented on the mental toll of the process on applicants, warning farmers who go through the process are often put under extreme stress. Jim Carmichael, Northern Ireland Agricultural Producers Association chairman and Rural Support volunteer, told the committee on Thursday (March 15): “The reason we would like to see someone with a mental health background on the panel is because we have seen some of the doctors’ reports and we understand how our clients have been feeling.