Brian Leddin (Limerick City, Green Party)
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855. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of penalties relating to fencing to prevent access from grazing bovines to watercourses for drinking purposes issued under the Nitrates Action Programme for non-compliance with the European Communities (Good Agricultural Practice for Protection of Waters) Regulations 2017, SI No. 605 of 2017 in recent years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46381/21]

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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The requirement to fence watercourses on certain agricultural holding types is set out under Article17(18) European Communities (Good Agricultural Practice for Protection of Waters) Regulations 2017, SI No. 605 of 2017 (as amended). This measure came into effect on 1^stJanuary 2021. Information on non-compliances and associated penalties relating to this requirement is not available to date as the inspection cycle for 2021 is not yet completed.

Brian Leddin (Limerick City, Green Party)
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856. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of penalties issued under the Nitrates Action Programme for non-compliance with the European Communities (Good Agricultural Practice for Protection of Waters) Regulations 2017, SI No. 605 of 2017 in recent years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46382/21]

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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The Department of Housing Planning and Local Government are the competent authority for the implementation of the Good Agricultural Practice regulations. The Department of Agriculture Food and the Marine is the paying agency for EU Common Agricultural Policy funds.

In accordance with the CAP regulations DAFM undertake the required number of farm inspections and compliance with SI 605 2017 is one of the areas checked. In addition an administrative check is undertaken to ensure all bovine and ovine livestock farmers comply with the stocking rate limits in the regulations.

Penalties for non compliance are provided for in EU Regulations 1306/2013, 640/2014 and 809/2014 and are applied under the Terms & Conditions of the Direct Payments Schemes and Rural Development Programme measures.

The table attached details the number of farmers penalised in recent years, both from administrative checks and those identified during farm inspection. The administrative checks are currently under way to identify those who exceeded the limits in 2020.