Pat Deering (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)
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120. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when the new farmers charter will be agreed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24006/15]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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I am pleased to advise that negotiations between my Department and the main farming organisations on a new Farmers Charter concluded on Thursday 11^thJune 2015. I welcome the achievement of consensus on the Charter and commend all parties involved for their positive engagement over the last number of months. The Charter is effectively an agreement between my Department and the main farming organisations on improving the standards and delivery targets for the Department’s schemes and services, including on-farm inspections, and brings clarity to the arrangements around inspections which I am particularly pleased about. The Charter sets out, in very clear language, the timelines, application, payment and appeals processes and is a very useful reference for farmers.

The new Charter will remain in place until 2020 coinciding with the lifetime of the current Pillar I and Pillar II schemes.

A Charter Monitoring Committee will be established under an independent chairman to monitor agreed targets and standards. This Committee will be composed of representatives of the farm organisations and staff of the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine.