Farmers seek inpection ban if land owner is not present
IFA in the country has sent a recommendation to their National Council to this effect.
IFA county chairman Michael O'Flynn received strong approval from the association's monthly meeting when he called for greater respect by Department officials for farmers, and said it was no longer acceptable that officials inspect farms in the absence of the owner and without notification to the owner.
He said the owner of the farm should be present during these inspections, which can give rise to serious penalties being imposed on that farmer for breach of farm scheme regulations.
He said "There are officials of the Department who do not give one damn about us farmers or the way they treat us.
"A lot of officials are decent people but there are others who are 'gurriers', and don't appear to care how they treat farmers".
He said Department officials recently walked a farmer's land and decided on a 40% fine for breach of REPS rules, because of "simple, minor details".
He said IFA leader John Dillon has 100% backing in the county to ensure that such actions will not re-occur.
Mr O'Flynn told the meeting, "It is time that we as farmers stand up to the Department officials instead of breaking our backs at every turn just to facilitate them, and they don't care one rattle about us.
"Their only concern is the level of bureaucracy and officialdom that they are being allowed to get away with by farmers."
