Tom Hayes (Tipperary South, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

It should be remembered at all times that Ireland receives €1.5 billion in EU aid in respect of direct payments to farmers. Farmers have become dependent on these payments to supplement their income. I accept that, as stated by Deputy McCarthy, they rely on these payments to pay their bills, etc. No farmer should, as a result of the review, be experiencing extreme hardship. It is easy to generalise. I know from my dealings on this issue in the Department and in regard to individual cases that the Department is considerate of people's positions and their payment situations. If, having gone through the formal structures in terms of an appeal, a fine is imposed, the Department should deal with the situation in a caring manner, taking into account that people are now extremely dependent on single farm and REPS payments.

A new REP scheme is currently being drafted in the Department, of which we need to be mindful. As I said earlier, Ireland receives €1.5 billion in EU aid. For this reason, we must ensure that the scheme is properly administered. One of the reasons Ireland was so successful in terms of its negotiations with Europe was that Ireland was seen as one of the countries that ran its business right. Inspection is part of the process. I acknowledge that several complaints have been made to the Department about inspectors. The Minister and I are aware of the upset caused to people by inspections. However, that is not the role of the inspector. In fairness, most of them are mindful of the upset caused by their appearance at people's homes. As in the case of the bag of applies, not everyone is perfect. If there are cases of hardship, they will be taken on board.

I would like the message to go out that we are living in an age where transparency must be part of what all arms of government do. The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine is no different. We want to be helpful to people. While I hope that we will become more disciplined into the future in the manner in which we operate all of these projects and schemes, I hope we will also be mindful of people's concerns.

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