Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The amendments I propose to section 27 are designed to provide for maximum flexibility so the arrangements for the collection of the animal levies can be amended in future via regulations to reflect best practice in terms of efficiency and public accounting requirements.

Accordingly, the requirement for advance payment of the levy, whether in cash format or, if possible, securely, in respect of animals exported live from the State, as currently contained in the Bovine Diseases (Levies) Acts 1979 and 1996, is being dispensed with in favour of a more flexible and adaptable system to make regulations to regulate the collection and remittance of any animal health levies provided for in Part 5 of the Bill. The requirement for advance payment of the levy on live exports reflects a time when most animals were exported from individual holdings. Nowadays livestock must be assembled for export and over 98% of cattle exported are processed through approved assembly centres. The advance collection of the live export levy is therefore no longer practical and causes auditing difficulties. A better and more efficient system of collection is required.

Regulations to be made under section 27(2) will facilitate the setting up of the system to ensure more cost-effective means of collecting the levy, particularly the animal health levy on live exports. Currently, moneys due are collected by Department staff on duty at assembly centres and lodged manually to the Department's bank account. It will be possible to set up an electronic system for collection, which will be more effective and efficient, through regulations under section 27(2). The €5 million contribution by farmers under the levy system underpins the compensation regime. In other words, we are modernising the system. This will make it easier to pay, and one will not have to pay some days in advance. This is just moving the payment model with the times.

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