Denis Naughten (Longford-Roscommon, Fine Gael)
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Question 168: To ask the Minister for Agriculture and Food if she has satisfied herself that all district veterinary officers working within her Department are carrying out their duties in a uniform and standardised manner; the template which is available to such officers to ensure that such uniformity is applied on the ground; the audits in place within her Department to check that uniform procedures are being applied; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [16703/06]

Mary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
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My Department's local offices are staffed by veterinary, technical and administrative staff and carry out a wide range of functions, including the administration of various schemes and services.

Many of these functions involve the administration of both EU and national statutory schemes and are administered by reference to standard instructions, including Departmental Circulars or Standard Operating Procedures. My Department is anxious that all functions are administered in a consistent manner across the network of offices at all times in the interests of equity to all our clients. Where any deficiencies are identified new instructions are issued and we regularly review our operating instructions to ensure that consistency of approach.

Like every other area of my Department, the local offices are subject to regular internal audits (all of which are reviewed by the Department's Audit Committee, the membership of which is primarily drawn from outside the Department) as well as external audits by the Office of the Comptroller and Auditor General and the European Commission (both the auditors of the Agricultural Guarantee & Guidance Fund and the Food & Veterinary Office).