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Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 6 Nov 2001

Vol. 543 No. 2

Written Answers. - Farm Inspections.

Ulick Burke

Question:

255 Mr. U. Burke asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Rural Development his views on whether unannounced farm inspections are safe, good for his staff's morale, good for the Department's customer relations and of any real benefit to his Department; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26276/01]

When the common organisation of the market in agriculture, COM, was reformed in 1992, and support for farming moved largely away from market supports to direct support for farmers, the EU put in place a system to ensure a standardised approach to those direct payments in the various member states. A regulation was introduced requiring each member state to establish an integrated administration and control system, IACS, for the various area aid and animal premia.

The regulation governing the integrated administration and control system – Regulation (EEC) No 3887/92 – requires member states to carry out on-the-spot inspection of a minimum number of the claims; 5% for area aid and 10% for animal premium schemes. The regulation requires that on-the-spot inspections shall be unannounced and cover all the agricultural parcels and animals covered by one or more applications. Advance warning limited to the strict minimum necessary may however be given, although as a general rule, this should not exceed 48 hours. Advance notice is given of on-the-spot inspections for the cattle and area aid schemes. However, in the case of the ewe premium scheme most inspections are unannounced.

Under the regulations, compliance inspections under the rural environment protection scheme, early retirement scheme and installation aid are required to be unannounced. In the case of inspections relating to on-farm investment schemes, inspection times and dates are arranged with the applicant.

In summary, unannounced inspections are envisaged under the regulations governing certain schemes and are an important feature of the controls required in ensuring that EU funds are not misappropriated.

Under the protocol on direct income payments to farmers, which I agreed with the social partner farm organisations in July 2000, a code of practice has been established in relation to the conduct of unannounced inspections by this Department's inspectors. A safety statement has been prepared for staff carrying out on-the-spot inspections and they are advised of safe inspection procedures.

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