The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) has issued compliance notices restricting 39 herds for serious livestock identification and registration (IDR) non-compliances to date in 2023.
As part of the new Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), breaches of IDR rules are being managed in a new way from this year onwards by the department.
Cross compliance or conditionality penalties can no longer be applied to a farmer’s direct payments for breaching these requirements.
“Where justified, a herd restriction notice is issued to an owner where serious IDR non-compliances are found,” a DAFM spokesperson told Agriland.
The farmer will then be required to take the necessary corrective action before the restriction is lifted by the department.
DAFM
In the event that a farmer does not take corrective action, a fixed payment notice (FPN), applied at a flat rate of €250, will be issued by the department.
Failure to pay within 28 days may result in a court appearance and an increased risk of further inspection.
This year’s farm inspections to ensure compliance with regulations commenced in the first week of April.
To date in 2023, 39 compliance notices restricting herds have been issued and four have been withdrawn.
No FPNs have been issued or prosecution initiated in relation to IDR non-compliances year-to-date.
“This enforcement system is designed to deliver the highest level of compliance with traceability requirements and affords inspected herds every opportunity to comply with the rules on identification and registration before incurring a financial penalty,” the DAFM spokesperson added.