‘Can’t do’ attitude from Government Departments putting pressure on the agricultural industry
02 October 2006
The DUP has called on all Government Departments to adopt a different approach when working with the farming community. The DUP supports the campaign launched this week to cut out the red tape and bureaucracy that exists within farming.
Jim Allister MEP commented, “It is only weeks since I highlighted the difference in penalties being removed from Northern Ireland farmers compared to farmers within the Republic of Ireland. This difference is not a result of farmers being less law abiding in Northern Ireland but can be directly attributed to more red tape and a less sympathetic Government Department. I am again highlighting this difference as an example of how EU legislation is differently interpreted here in Northern Ireland. If DARD is serious in reducing bureaucracy they would have already changed their penalty system for minor breaches of cross compliance guidelines for Single Farm Payments and would not have rushed out to inform the industry of duplicate field errors for 2006.
“I welcome the campaign launched this week by the UFU. There are many examples of areas where DARD are more stringently implementing EU legislation. Currently farmers are missing out on valuable live export markets for quality weanlings coming from the suckler herd. Despite Lord Rooker promising last May that no additional red tape would be put into the guidelines for live animal exports we are seeing very different rules for Northern Ireland compared to other regions of Europe. The Republic of Ireland has recently had an EU inspection on their procedures for live animal exports and DARD has both seen a draft EU report on the visit and met with Department officials in the Republic of Ireland to discuss its findings. The question has to be asked why DARD is not willing to relax the rules here and allow for the live export of animals.
“William McCrea MP recently led a delegation from the DUP to meet with the EHS on the way they are implementing Farm Waste Regulation rules. During the meeting we suggested a number of ways in which the Farm Waste Regulations could be implemented within Northern Ireland in a less bureaucratic manner. We believe that Northern Ireland legislation could be amended to exempt all farmers from the Farm Waste rules without any form filling required. Alternatively a simple tick box could be included in next years IACS/SFP form to allow exemption. I believe it is a matter of if there was a will within Government Departments to reduce red tape on the industry a way could be quickly found” concluded Jim Allister.
