Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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EU regulations governing the Direct Payments Schemes requires my Department to carry-out administrative and on-the-spot checks to ensure that the land declared for aid is eligible for payment. The regulations further require that a minimum of 5% of applicants must be inspected each year. These on the spot checks or inspections are undertaken by means of physical inspection in the field or by means of using the technique of remote sensing via satellite and both involve a check on all parcels declared for aid by the applicant. A verification visit involves the inspection in the field of an individual parcel or parcels of land where it has not be en possible to verify the eligibility of the parcel(s) as part of an administrative or remote sensing check.