Michael Fitzmaurice (Roscommon-Galway, Independent)
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205. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if the EU auditor conducted inspections on lands here during 2017; if so, the county and land type audited, for example privately owned land or commonage land, hill type land or low land, tillage or grazed land; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52286/17]

Michael Fitzmaurice (Roscommon-Galway, Independent)
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206. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if his attention has been drawn to the failures identified by the EU auditors or European Commission in the implementation of land eligibility from 2015 to 2017; if so, if he will provide the communications advising him of such failures; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52287/17]

Michael Fitzmaurice (Roscommon-Galway, Independent)
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207. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if failures have been identified by the EU auditor on land eligibility; if these failures relate to agricultural activity or the inclusion of hard features such as rock, scrub, lakes and so on; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52288/17]

Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 205 to 207, inclusive, together.

The EU Commission is one of a number of bodies that carry out regular audits in relation to various payment schemes, operated by my Department, that are funded under the Common Agricultural Policy.

During 2017, the Commission carried out one such audit, in which issues relating to eligibility and inspections were examined.

The Commission has advised my Department of its findings and my officials are currently preparing a response. These communications will continue as part of a bilateral process over the coming months in accordance with standard procedure, and it would therefore be inappropriate to comment, at this stage, on any particular details as this is very much the beginning of what will be a very thorough deliberative process.