Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Wednesday, 10 May 2000

Vol. 518 No. 6

Written Answers. - Ewe Inspection Process.

Paul Connaughton

Ceist:

195 Mr. Connaughton asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Rural Development the reason it is necessary to have an inspection under the ewe premium scheme on hill sheep carried out when they are heavy in lamb; the plans, if any, he has to introduce a more imaginative inspection process; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12399/00]

Minister for Agriculture, Food and Rural Development (Mr. Walsh)

It is a requirement under EU regulations that a minimum of 10% of ewe premium scheme applications are inspected on-the-spot. Every effort is made to complete these inspections within the 100 day retention period so as to facilitate flock owners as far as possible. The retention period ended on 28 April this year.

Inevitably inspections are carried out when ewes are in lamb and every effort is made to avoid handling ewes. On most farms it is not necessary to assemble the sheep as it is possible to check the number of sheep and establish that they are eligible by inspecting the sheep in the fields. However, in some circumstances such as where sheep are kept on commonages, it is not always possible to carry out these checks without assembling them at one point, particularly where there are large flocks involved or the flocks are inter-mixed.

Given the application timeframe involved in the ewe premium scheme, there is really no scope for changing the current on-the-spot inspection procedure.