Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 13 November 2012
520. Deputy Finian McGrath asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the time notification that should be provided by his Department officials in relation to a full farm inspection (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49395/12]
View answerMy Department, in the context of delivering the Single Payment Scheme, Disadvantages Areas’ Scheme and other area related schemes, is required to carry-out an annual round of inspections covering both the eligibility of land declared to draw down payments and also cross-compliance aspects to ensure compliance with EU regulatory requirements in the areas of public, animal and plant health, environment and animal welfare.
Provided the purpose of the control is not jeopardised, relevant EU regulations enable my Department to give up to 14 days notice for land eligibility inspections. This also applies for cross compliance inspections involving Statutory Management Requirements (SMRs), other than those related to animal identification and registration, feed, food and animal welfare. For checks involving animal identification and registration, the maximum advance notice permitted under EU regulations is 48 hours, provided the purpose of the inspection is not jeopardised. For SMRs dealing with feed, food and animal welfare, no advance notice is permitted under governing EU regulations.
As a general rule and following requests from the farming organisations, my Department tries to integrate inspections, including all of the cross compliance inspection elements, with a view to avoiding more than one visit to a farm. This, however, has implications for the degree of flexibility available to my Department to give advance notice. Nonetheless, in respect of those elements of an integrated inspection for which advance notice is possible, the farmer can request deferral of those particular elements to a separate inspection.
