Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Wednesday, 29 Sep 1999

Vol. 508 No. 1

Written Answers. - Rural Environment Protection Scheme.

Trevor Sargent

Ceist:

265 Mr. Sargent asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food the number of senior REP scheme Department inspectors which operated at the beginning of the scheme; the number currently operating in view of the fact that the scheme is availed of by over 40,000 farmers; if he has satisfied himself that the current number of inspectors can only manage to spot check five per cent of farms per year; and the plans, if any, he has to radically improve the level of inspection and to increase the number of inspectors. [17214/99]

Trevor Sargent

Ceist:

269 Mr. Sargent asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food the number of REP scheme inspectors in place when the scheme commenced; and the increase in the number which has resulted from the enormous increase of participating farmers. [17221/99]

Minister for Agriculture and Food (Mr. Walsh):

I propose to take Questions Nos. 265 and 269 together.

The rural and environment protection scheme – REPS – was introduced in 1994. Controls and inspection checks for the scheme are carried out by the Department's rural development and environment group. The staffing of the group in 1994 and in 1999 is as follows:

Grade	1994	1999
Senior Inspector	1	1
Agricultural Inspector	9	10
Rural Development andEnvironment (RDE) Inspectors	26	39
Area Superintendent	5	7
District Superintendent	34	38
Supervisory Agricultural Officer	22	33
Technical Agricultural Officer	192	157
Total	289	285

The level of controls and inspector checks carried out by the staff of the group on REPS is significantly higher than 5 per cent, summarised as follows:

– 100 per cent of applications and documentation;

– 5 per cent pre-payment checks by RDE inspectors;

– 50 per cent compliance checks annually by technical agricultural officers;

– 5 per cent plan and compliance checks annually by RDE inspectors.