Ulick Burke (Fine Gael)

Will the Leader ask the Minister for Agriculture and Food to preserve the part of the REP scheme which comes under her Department's remit? There has been a serious intrusion in this area on the part of other agencies, particularly local authorities. Farmers are being obliged to suffer an invasion of inspection personnel. This is a total waste of money and it is undermining the REP scheme because anything up to 12 people from various agencies can inspect a particular farm. The REP scheme has done wonderful work in terms of preserving rural areas and organising farming in an environmentally friendly way. However, it is a waste of resources to have representatives of local authorities and various safety agencies involved in the same kind of inspections of farms. Will the Minister for Agriculture and Food streamline the inspection process and stop the intimidation being visited upon the farming community?