A meeting between EU Commission officials – from the departments of Direct Payments and Rural Development – and members of the Irish Natura and Hill Farmers Association (INHFA) has taken place to clarify a number of issues around farm inspections and land eligibility.
Speaking afterwards, INHFA Vice President, Brendan Joyce, described how the meeting was beneficial to both sides. While it helped to clarify issues around inspections for farmers, it also highlighted to officials the impacts for farmers on the ground.
Joyce emphasised that a control report is necessary for every inspection. This report contains a number of specific requirements, such as the signature of the farmer whose land was inspected. It was stressed that the signature merely acknowledges that the inspection has happened and does not imply that the farmer agrees with the inspection findings.
Joyce elaborated, saying: “Commission officials not only informed them how a signed control report is required, but also indicated how the inspector must allow the farmer to add observations and, where any non-compliance is found, the beneficiaries (farmers receiving payments) must receive a copy of the control report. This should then be included in the final report.”
On ‘commonage’ land, he added: “We were informed that, for the inspection to be valid, all beneficiaries must be given the opportunity to sign the control report and be provided with a copy of the signed report.
This is in addition to the right of appeal that must be provided to all beneficiaries.
Another key element discussed between the organisation and officials concerned the department’s application of ‘Article 32′, which concerns eligibility on land subject to the Birds and Habitats (Natura) Directives.
This article enables farmers who have ineligible land due to the implementation of these directives to have the land reinstated for payment purposes, the farmers’ group noted. This is because it was deemed that applying these directives is what resulted in the land becoming ineligible.
The vice president continued: “We understand from the commission that all commonage lands – even if not designated SAC (Special Areas of Conservation) or SPA (Special Protection Areas) – should qualify for protection under Article 32 as the Commonage Framework Plans (CFPs) were developed for all commonages in response to Ireland’s non-compliance under the Birds and Habitats Directives.
Those CFPs were never reviewed and therefore curtailed drastically a farmer’s ability to evolve their farming practices.
Joyce concluded by demanding that the Department of Agriculture begins a review of all Natura and commonage lands made ineligible, with a view to reimbursing those who lost income and reinstating their payments.