Coughlan defends inspection scheme

THE cross-compliance inspections procedure under the single payment scheme has been defended by Agriculture and Food Minister Mary Coughlan as fair and equitable.

She was responding to criticism of the procedure and complaints that farmers could suffer serious financial penalties even for technical breaches of regulations.

Ms Coughlan said the total amount of money withheld because of sanctions applied during cross-compliance inspections in 2005 was €337,000. This represents some 0.029% of €1.16 billion, the total value of the single payment scheme in Ireland in 2005.

“As less that 1% of farmers participating in the scheme incurred penalties, this cannot be regarded as a harsh regime,” she said.

The main problems found at on-farm inspections during 2005 continued to be issues associated with identification and registration of animals.

Ms Coughlan said she wanted to ensure that minor levels of non-compliance do not result in financial penalties.

She said her department developed a weighting system with due tolerances for minor infringements which, on their own, are regarded as inadvertent breaches capable of occurring in practical farm situations.

Irish Creamery Milk Suppliers’ Association deputy president John O’Leary said recently that cross compliance has a range of financial penalties attached that could lead to a total loss of income for a farmer and urged the minister to negotiate a simplified regime.