Kenny commits to 14 day farm inspections

[qtman]

This week's Farmers Journal reports that Enda Kenny has promised the IFA that if FG get into power, "no-notice" cross compliance inspections will end and all farmers will be given 14 days notice of inspections (yes, you read this correctly: 14 days).

See here for story.

At the same time, today's Irish Examiner reports:

"More than half of private group water supplies in counties Cavan, Kerry,
Leitrim, Mayo, Donegal and Sligo breached the E.coli standard in 2005
according to the Environmental Protection Agencies report."

Thanks, Enda. I have no problem exposing my kids to animal bacteria in their drinking water. The most important thing is that you keep your friends in the IFA happy.

[meriwether]

This week's Farmers Journal reports that Enda Kenny has promised the IFA that if FG get into power, "no-notice" cross compliance inspections will end and all farmers will be given 14 days notice of inspections (yes, you read this correctly: 14 days).

See here for story.

At the same time, today's Irish Examiner reports:

"More than half of private group water supplies in counties Cavan, Kerry,
Leitrim, Mayo, Donegal and Sligo breached the E.coli standard in 2005
according to the Environmental Protection Agencies report."

Thanks, Enda. I have no problem exposing my kids to animal bacteria in their drinking water. The most important thing is that you keep your friends in the IFA happy.

You think that water sources can be cleaned by the infernal farmers in the 14 days, of E-Coli, then once the inspectors go, they can return polluting merrily?
You're half cracked to be honest, and have a bizarre obscession with Kenny.

[qtman]

This week's Farmers Journal reports that Enda Kenny has promised the IFA that if FG get into power, "no-notice" cross compliance inspections will end and all farmers will be given 14 days notice of inspections (yes, you read this correctly: 14 days).

See here for story.

At the same time, today's Irish Examiner reports:

"More than half of private group water supplies in counties Cavan, Kerry,
Leitrim, Mayo, Donegal and Sligo breached the E.coli standard in 2005
according to the Environmental Protection Agencies report."

Thanks, Enda. I have no problem exposing my kids to animal bacteria in their drinking water. The most important thing is that you keep your friends in the IFA happy.

You think that water sources can be cleaned by the infernal farmers in the 14 days, of E-Coli, then once the inspectors go, they can return polluting merrily?
You're half cracked to be honest, and have a bizarre obscession with Kenny.

What a brainless response.

Cross compliance inspections do not involve checking to see if water courses are polluted; they involve checking to ensure farmers aren't engaging in activities that could potentially pollute water courses.

Clearly, if a farmer is engaging in a high-risk activity e.g. allowing run off from a shed, they can suspend the activity prior to the inspection and then start it up again after the inspection, which is the precise reason why we have "no-notice" inspections.

[meriwether]

This week's Farmers Journal reports that Enda Kenny has promised the IFA that if FG get into power, "no-notice" cross compliance inspections will end and all farmers will be given 14 days notice of inspections (yes, you read this correctly: 14 days).

See here for story.

At the same time, today's Irish Examiner reports:

"More than half of private group water supplies in counties Cavan, Kerry,
Leitrim, Mayo, Donegal and Sligo breached the E.coli standard in 2005
according to the Environmental Protection Agencies report."

Thanks, Enda. I have no problem exposing my kids to animal bacteria in their drinking water. The most important thing is that you keep your friends in the IFA happy.

You think that water sources can be cleaned by the infernal farmers in the 14 days, of E-Coli, then once the inspectors go, they can return polluting merrily?
You're half cracked to be honest, and have a bizarre obscession with Kenny.

What a brainless response.

Cross compliance inspections do not involve checking to see if water courses are polluted; they involve checking to ensure farmers aren't engaging in activities that could potentially pollute water courses.

Clearly, if a farmer is engaging in a high-risk activity e.g. allowing run off from a shed, they can suspend the activity prior to the inspection and then start it up again after the inspection, which is the precise reason why we have "no-notice" inspections.

Do you think that run-off from a shed doesn't leave evidence that cant be cleared up within 14 days?
If a farmer is engaging in pollution on a wide enough scale to pollute a water supply, anyone, even you, would be able to spot it.

[qtman]

Do you think that run-off from a shed doesn't leave evidence that cant be cleared up within 14 days?

I think what you are trying to ask is:

Can a farmer remove evidence of high-risk activity within 14 days?

The answer:

Of course he can.

If a farmer is engaging in pollution on a wide enough scale to pollute a water supply, anyone, even you, would be able to spot it.

How do you figure that exactly? I'm not aware of too many farmers who invite members of the public to snoop around their lands or yards.

Here's a question:

Why do farmers want 14 days notice of inspections?

[meriwether]

Do you think that run-off from a shed doesn't leave evidence that cant be cleared up within 14 days?

I think what you are trying to ask is:

Can a farmer remove evidence of high-risk activity within 14 days?

The answer:

Of course he can.

If a farmer is engaging in pollution on a wide enough scale to pollute a water supply, anyone, even you, would be able to spot it.

How do you figure that exactly? I'm not aware of too many farmers who invite members of the public to snoop around their lands or yards.

Here's a question:

Why do farmers want 14 days notice of inspections?

Farmers want notice (Im unsure how long, but 14 days is probably not plucked from nowhere):
(A) Convenience sake. They want to be there when inspections take place, and to have jobs organised around it.
(B) Its a question of courtesy. Plus they dont like the Dept, and wont stand to be pushed around by them.
Ill have to take your word for it that evidence of run offs can be erased within 14 days. Ill be interested if you outline your extensive knowledge of agricultural and environmental health matters that allows you to make this finding.
Of course, you could also be alluding to the fact that a farmer could just JCB a big trail of cow************************e from his slurry tank to the river, but that doesnt count, because any fool could see that.

[qtman]

Here's a question:

Why do farmers want 14 days notice of inspections?

Farmers want notice (Im unsure how long, but 14 days is probably not plucked from nowhere):

Read the article linked to in the initial post

(A) Convenience sake. They want to be there when inspections take place, and to have jobs organised around it.

I'm coming around to the conclusion that you don't know what you are talking about. Inspections do not go ahead if the farmer is not present (obviously).

Inspections only take about 2 hours.

(B) Its a question of courtesy. Plus they dont like the Dept, and wont stand to be pushed around by them.

Courtesy? Do you even know what cross-compliance is?

Cross-compliance is a key tenet of the Single Payment mechanism.

The Single Payment mechanism pays farmers based on their output in what is know as a reference period. Farmers are paid even if they are not currently producing. All they have to do is show conformity with key Directives like Nitrates and Habitats.

So what the IFA want is for EU Taxpayers to pay farmers for doing nothing, and then ask them 'politely' if it is OK if we check that they are upholding their side of the bargain.

Will you get off the stage!

[rockofcashel]

In fairness Meri, why should farmers be given 14 days notice of inspections ?

The same way as why should banks be given notice ahead of Revenue Commissioner inspections, which they were entitled to, during the 80's when they were robbing the Revenue blind ?

Or why should building sites be given notice of Labour inspections/Health and Safety inspections ?

The whole point of any inspection is to try to find out if non-compliance is going on in some part of any practice, and giving notice negates the value of the inspection.

As an aside, I listened to a report on the radio yesterday, I think on News at One, about the meeting between the IFA and Enda Kenny, and the reporter basically said, Enda Kenny gave the IFA carte blanche to everything they asked for if FG are returned to Government.

One point they honed in on, was a promise to a return to roll-over compensation payments to farmers, whose land is purchased for national infrastructure, which will allow farmers to negotiate bonus prices for land, and then get a tax rebate if the farmer re-purchases other land.

[meriwether]

Im unaware of me stating that (A) the farmers have to be there for it to occur. Do point it out.

'politely' if it is OK if we check that they are upholding their side of the bargain.

I was unaware that a 14 day waiting period amounted to allowing the inspections.
Point out where I said that the farmers were demanding the power to stop the inspections, or that the 14 day waiting period amounted to a halting of said inspections.

[qtman]

In fairness Meri, why should farmers be given 14 days notice of inspections ?

The same way as why should banks be given notice ahead of Revenue Commissioner inspections, which they were entitled to, during the 80's when they were robbing the Revenue blind ?

Or why should building sites be given notice of Labour inspections/Health and Safety inspections ?

The whole point of any inspection is to try to find out if non-compliance is going on in some part of any practice, and giving notice negates the value of the inspection.

As an aside, I listened to a report on the radio yesterday, I think on News at One, about the meeting between the IFA and Enda Kenny, and the reporter basically said, Enda Kenny gave the IFA carte blanche to everything they asked for if FG are returned to Government.

One point they honed in on, was a promise to a return to roll-over compensation payments to farmers, whose land is purchased for national infrastructure, which will allow farmers to negotiate bonus prices for land, and then get a tax rebate if the farmer re-purchases other land.

Kenny also said that if FG were in Government, farmers would be allowed to rectify their non-compliance instead of being fined.