Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)

My Department, in the context of delivering the single payment scheme, disadvantaged area scheme and other area-based schemes, is required to carry out annual inspections covering the eligibility of the land declared to draw down payments and cross compliance to ensure compliance with EU regulatory requirements in the areas of public, animal and plant health, environment and animal welfare. These inspections are mandatory, and there are minimum numbers and types of inspections that must take place annually - we do not have a choice in this.

Land eligibility checks must be carried out on 5% of applicants. These checks are carried out to verify that the area claimed in the application form corresponds with the area farmed by the farmer and to ensure that any ineligible land or features are deducted. Up to two thirds of these inspections are carried out without visiting the farm as the information is verified using the technique of remote sensing via satellite, in other words mapping areas via satellite.

The rate of inspections for cross-compliance is 1% of applicants to whom the statutory management requirements, SMRs, and good agricultural condition, GAEC, apply. However, 3% of farmers must be inspected under the bovine identification and registration requirements while 3% of sheep farmers must be inspected covering 5% of the flock.

In 2010, in an effort to minimise duplication of farm inspections between the two Departments, my Department agreed to carry out 1,600 nitrates inspections under the GAP regulations on behalf of the Department of Environment, Community and Local Government. This arrangement was retained in 2011 and 2102 and is working well.

Additional information not given on the floor of the House.

The value of these schemes to Irish farmers is €1.8 billion annually. It is therefore incumbent on my Department to ensure the regulatory control environment is comprehensively implemented to protect these payments and to avoid significant EU disallowances.

The data sought by the Deputy are supplied separately in respect of the 2009 and 2010 schemes. The data in respect of the 2011 schemes will be made available when it they are finalised later in the year. I regret the delay in responding to the Deputy. The information requested by the Deputy was significant and involved compilation of data from across a range of areas within my Department.

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