Vol. 561 No. 5
182 Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food the method employed for selecting for departmental inspection and the percentage of those selected from the overall list of applicants for area aid and headage payments. [4909/03]
Cases are selected for inspection systematically for both area aid and the livestock schemes. A computer programme selects a percentage of cases randomly and the remainder based on criteria set in EU regulations. The categories for selection, other than random, include the amount of aid involved, changes from previous years, findings in previous years and compliance with the identification and registration requirements. The relevant EU regulation requires that at least 5% of producers are inspected. In the case of livestock inspections, 5% of applications for at least one scheme must be inspected inside retention, and 5% of animals under each scheme must be inspected.
183 Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food the details of the application procedure for a registered land owner who wishes to secure a herd number or flock number; and the time it normally takes to have same successfully processed. [4910/03]
The herd number system is an administrative arrangement under the disease eradication schemes and is designed primarily for the purposes of disease control. The criteria used in assessing applications for a herd number principally include independent management of the holding, separate housing and fodder, the availability of adequate testing facilities and no possibility of intermixing with any other herd. The general details in regard to applying for a herd number are outlined in application form ER1, a copy of which I am arranging to send to the Deputy. As provided for in Appendix 1, page 21, of our current Customer Service Action Plan 2001-2004, the staff in the local offices aim to finalise an application for a herd number within a 28 day time frame.
