Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)

-----is involved in consultations with all the farm organisations and all stakeholders in regard to the practical implementation of the scheme. I have consistently outlined, at meetings of the Joint Committee on Agriculture, Fisheries and Food and in this House, that we totally opposed the mandatory introduction of the EID, that we had no support around the table of the Council of Ministers, except for one or two other countries, and that there was opposition to anybody getting a derogation. The European Commission and the Commissioner for Health, Androulla Vassiliou were adamant that the scheme would be implemented. Indeed, they bemoaned the fact that it was not implemented six years ago when it should have been. In regard to the error rate, it is an issue of which we are conscious. That is why Department officials are involved in detailed discussions with farmer organisations or representatives to ensure we minimise the difficulties for the primary producers and people do not lose out in terms of cross-compliance requirements for their single payments. Those issues are currently under discussion.

See this speech in context