Michael Fitzmaurice (Roscommon-Galway, Independent)
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1603. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the reason inspectors training changed in 2017 from 2015 to 2016 whereby inspectors are omitting hill tops within commonage areas; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26708/17]

Michael Fitzmaurice (Roscommon-Galway, Independent)
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1616. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if the hill tops of commonage areas have been excluded under the proposed changes to the BPS scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27177/17]

Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 1603 and 1616 together.

The rules on the eligibility of “hill top” land have not changed since 2015. I can confirm that inspecting officers of my Department are not “omitting hill tops” within commonage areas.

My Department provides training, on an annual basis, for staff who carry out land eligibility inspections. The purpose of this training is to update inspecting officers on audit outcomes, clarifications on the governing EU regulations and guidance documents from various EU meetings and workshops and to ensure that the inspection process is up to the standard required of an accredited paying agency.