The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) restricted 455 herds in 2024 because of serious tagging, registration and movement breaches.
These legal notices restrict movement into and from the herd (with the exception of animals directly for slaughter where traceability can be established) pending resolution of the non-compliances.
A DAFM spokesperson told Agriland that 256 withdrawal notices were subsequently been issued to farmers who have engaged with the department to resolve the non-compliances identified at the inspection”.
Herds
IDR inspections assess farmers’ compliance with livestock identification, registration and movement regulations.
Up to December 20, department officials had completed some 4,039 IDR inspections on herds around the country this year.
Last year, the department completed 4,636 IDR inspections, with 181 herds issued with legal compliance notices restricting movement, again with the exception of animals directly for slaughter where traceability could be established.
132 withdrawal notices were issued to farmers who engaged with the department to resolve the non-compliances identified.
The DAFM spokesperson noted that the reduced number of restriction notices issued last year is due to the legal basis coming into force part way through the year on May 23, 2023.
As part of the new Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), breaches of IDR rules began to be managed in a new way from 2023 onwards by the department.
Cross compliance or conditionality penalties can no longer be applied to a farmer’s direct payments for breaching these requirements.
DAFM
In the event that corrective action is not taken by a farmer after a serious non-compliance is detected, the department has the power to issue a fixed payment notice (FPN), which is applied at a flat rate of €250.
Failure to pay this fine within 28 days may result in a court appearance and an increased risk of further inspection.
The department said that no FPNs have issued in relation to non-compliances identified as part of 2023 or 2024 IDR inspections, nor has any farmer faced a court appearance.
DAFM added that it is currently reviewing the herds that remain restricted and considering the next steps required.
Trends identified at IDR inspections to date show that farmers who were issued compliance notices had multiple tagging and record keeping non-compliances.
The department reminded farmers of the following to avoid an IDR compliance notice being issued:
- Tag all livestock by tagging deadlines;
- Register all calves within seven days of tagging;
- Notify movements of all livestock promptly;
- Replace lost tags promptly;
- Keep the herd/flock register up-to-date at all times.
DAFM said that high standards of livestock traceability are the foundation on which Ireland’s meat and dairy sector are built.
It added that by complying with rules on tagging, registration and movement of livestock, farmers play a key role in ensuring Ireland’s international reputation for producing safe, nutritious food that is traceable from farm to fork.