Timmy Dooley (Clare, Fianna Fail)
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Question 12: To ask the Minister for Agriculture; Food and the Marine his plans to ensure adequate sheep inspection times are set out to avoid interference with the lambing season into the future; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23266/12]

Shane McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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In delivering direct payment schemes, my Department must carry out annual inspections covering land eligibility and cross-compliance to ensure compliance with EU regulatory requirements. In any given year, there are two types of checks carried out on the farmers selected for inspection, those being, eligibility checks and cross-compliance checks. The cross-compliance checks are separate from eligibility or area checks and any cross-compliance sanction will be applied after eligibility has been established. It is a requirement that all eligibility checks be completed prior to payment and payments cannot be made until cases are fully processed.

In the first instance, it is a requirement to carry out eligibilitychecks on 5% of farmers applying under the payment schemes in the first and second pillars of the Common Agricultural Policy. These checks are carried out to verify that the actual area claimed in the application form corresponds to the area farmed by the farmer and to ensure that any ineligible land or feature is deducted. Up to two thirds of these inspections are carried out without a farm visit and use the technique of remote sensing via satellite.

The rate of inspections for cross-compliance is 1% of applicants to whom the statutory management requirements, SMRs, and good agricultural and environmental condition, GAEC, apply. However, 3% of farmers must be inspected under the bovine identification and registration requirements while 3% of sheep-goat farmers must be inspected, covering 5% of the flock. In conducting a sheep inspection, every effort is made by officials of my Department to minimise disruption to farming activities and to avoid stress to livestock on the holding. As much as possible, inspection timings are organised to avoid conducting inspections when lambs are young or sheep need to be brought down from the hills. Where young lambs are found, particular care is taken to avoid such risks as mismothering.

The importance of inspections and the control regime currently in place must be remembered, as the value of these direct payment schemes to Irish farmers is €1.8 billion annually. These payments form a large part of net farming income. Therefore, it is incumbent on my Department to ensure that the regulatory control environment is comprehensively implemented to avoid EU disallowances.

Michael Moynihan (Cork North West, Fianna Fail)
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I understand that the Department introduced a protocol to ensure that sheep would not be inspected during lambing season. I want to ensure this protocol is followed.

The 1% rate of inspections for cross-compliance is difficult to understand, given the fact that some people have been inspected for the rural environment protection scheme, REPS, the single farm payment and so on almost every year for the past 14 or 15 years. When they question the inspectors, they are told that a computer threw out their names. One wonders whether that computer is stuck on a number and whether a farmer would be better advised to seek a new herd number. It is difficult to tell farmers and farming groups about the 1% rate when they can show evidence to the contrary.

If the Department has a protocol on not inspecting sheep during lambing season, I appeal to the Minister of State to adhere to it strictly.

Shane McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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There is a major effort under way to put the sheep industry in its rightful place. Last week, I visited Athenry in County Galway where Teagasc presented a good introduction of the work under way. Given the number of flocks that will see an increase, I hope that the people who are being inspected annually will not draw the short straw every year. Every effort is made not to visit a farm during the lambing season. Of all animals, the sheep is the most vulnerable to abortion.