My Department, in the context of delivering the Direct Payments Schemes is required to carry out annual inspections covering land eligibility and cross compliance to ensure compliance with EU regulatory requirements. The value of these schemes to Irish farmers is €1.8bn annually. It is, therefore, incumbent on my Department to ensure that the regulatory control environment is comprehensively implemented to avoid EU disallowances.
Eligibility checks must be carried out on 5% of applicants. These checks are carried out to verify that the actual area claimed in the application form corresponds to the area farmed by the farmer and to ensure that any ineligible land/features are deducted. Up to two-thirds of these inspections are carried out without a farm visit as the information is verified using the technique of remote sensing via satellite.
The rate of inspections for cross-compliance is 1% of applicants to whom the Statutory Management Requirements (SMRs) and Good Agricultural Condition (GAEC) apply. However, 3% of farmers must be inspected under the bovine identification and registration requirements, while 3% of sheep/goat farmers must be inspected, covering 5% of the flock.
In the time available it has not been possible to compile the full range of data requested by Deputy. The information sought will be forwarded directly to the Deputy as soon as it is compiled.
