Willie Penrose (Westmeath, Labour)
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Question 507: To ask the Minister for Agriculture and Food the reason a meeting promised to the farming organisations in January 2007 in relation to the cross compliance inspection regime has not taken place to date; when precisely this long promised meeting will take place; if the 66 page questionnaire in relation to issues to be addressed by farmers actually originated from within her Department and not from the EU Commission; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11681/07]

Mary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
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The position is that the European Commission is preparing a review document on cross-compliance. I expect this document will be finalised this week following which it will be presented to the Agriculture Council for discussion during April. With the commitment of the Presidency to progressing the dossier speedily, I am hopeful that changes can be agreed in time to apply to the 2007 inspection arrangements.

In tandem with this, my Department is carrying out a full review of the inspection arrangements and checklists, produced by my Department for use by the inspectorate staff, for the Single Payment Scheme with a view to simplification of the arrangements (including paperwork) where possible while, at the same time, ensuring compliance with the regulatory requirements. The review of the inspection report forms together with the outcome of the Commission's review of the cross-compliance arrangements generally, will be fully discussed with the farming organisations before the Single Payment Scheme inspections for 2007 get underway.

Willie Penrose (Westmeath, Labour)
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Question 508: To ask the Minister for Agriculture and Food when she will introduce the 14 day pre-inspection notice for farmers who are being surveyed for the cross compliance regime; if, in relation to all audits conducted by State organisations, an appropriate notice period will be given; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11683/07]

Mary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
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The policy towards on-farm inspection has been to give advance notification of up to 48 hours in all cases. This policy of systematic pre-announcement of inspections was questioned by the European Commission in July 2006 and its unacceptability was conveyed to my Department in a formal communication in August. As a result my Department was obliged to agree to a proportion of Single Payment Scheme inspections being carried out in 2006 without prior notification. Some 650 farms out of 130,000 involved in the Single Payment Scheme were subsequently selected for unannounced inspection. The balance of inspection cases, representing some 92% of the 7,514 farms selected for Single Payment Scheme/Disadvantaged Areas Scheme inspection in 2006, were all pre-notified to the farmer.

The EU regulations governing the Single Payment Scheme would allow my Department to give pre-notification of inspection in all cases where certain elements of cross-compliance are involved e.g. the Nitrates Regulations. However, my Department is committed, in the Charter of Rights for Farmers 2005-2007 to carrying out all Single Payment Scheme and Disadvantaged Area Scheme checks during one single farm visit in most cases. This then obliges my Department to respect the advance notice requirements applicable to the most stringent element of the inspection regime viz. maximum of 48 hours notice but with no advance notice in a proportion of cases.

My Department believes that pre-notification of Single Payment Scheme/Disadvantaged Areas Scheme inspections fits in with the practicalities of Irish agriculture where increasingly, farmers are also engaged in off-farm employment. In a decoupled Single Payment Scheme system, the provision of advance notification of inspection to the farmer should not negatively impact on the effectiveness of the control. However, as the EU regulations stand, my Department is obliged to carry out a proportion of inspections without prior notification and this is what was done in 2006. My Department is seeking authority to allow advance notification in all inspection cases and I will continue to press this point in the CAP simplification process.

The Commission is at an advanced stage in finalising a review document on cross-compliance. The review will include the question of advance notice of inspections.

In tandem with this, my Department is carrying out a full review of the inspection arrangements and checklists for the Single Payment Scheme with a view to simplification of the arrangements (including paperwork) where possible while, at the same time, ensuring compliance with the regulatory requirements. The review of the inspection report forms together with the outcome of the Commission's review of the cross-compliance arrangements generally, will be fully discussed with the farming organisations before the Single Payment Scheme inspections for 2007 get underway.