Michael Fitzmaurice (Roscommon-South Leitrim, Independent)
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558. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine further to Parliamentary Questions Nos. 142 of 26 March 2015 and 366 of 21 April 2015, his views that an applicant has the right to refuse the inspectors entry; the way this right may be refused if an applicant to the schemes is not informed of the inspectors' presence on the applicant's lands; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32216/15]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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In submitting an application under the Direct Payment Schemes and other area-based schemes, applicants agree to comply fully with the terms and conditions of the scheme. The terms and conditions for these schemes clearly state that applicants agree to permit officials of the Department to carry-out on-farm inspections with or without prior notice. If an applicant does not wish to abide by or fails to comply with this requirement of terms and conditions for the schemes they put at risk all payments due for the schemes concerned.

Michael Fitzmaurice (Roscommon-South Leitrim, Independent)
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559. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if his staff may enter lands where one or more land owners, who are not applicants of any scheme, and therefore have not signed up to the terms, have not provided him with permission to enter their lands; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32217/15]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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Under the Direct Payment Schemes my Department’s staff only enter farmer’s property on foot of an application under one or more of these schemes in accordance with the terms and conditions of that scheme. It is a condition of all such schemes that an applicant who submits lands as part of that scheme, grants permission to the Department to inspect all the lands submitted by that applicant, with or without notice.