The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) has carried out almost 700 identification and registration (IDR) inspections so far this year.

Since 2023, DAFM has been managing cases of non-compliance on livestock traceability through fixed payment notices instead of cross compliance penalties.

In the event of serious non-compliance with livestock identification and movement rules being found, the department has the power to issue a fixed payment notice at a flat rate of €250.

Failure to pay that penalty within 28 days could result in a court appearance and an increased risk of further inspection.

This system replaced the previous approach where a penalty was deducted from a farmer’s direct payments.

As of May 15, the department confirmed to Agriland that it had completed 671 IDR inspections across the country.

No compliance notices advising of a herd restriction in relation to serious identification, registration, and movement non-compliances have been issued.

In 2024, the department completed 4,535 IDR inspections, with 459 herds issued with compliance notices and restricted due to serious non-compliances.

A DAFM spokesperson said: “357 withdrawal notices were issued to farmers who have engaged with the department to resolve the non-compliances identified at the inspection.

“The department is currently reviewing the herds that remain restricted and considering the next steps required,” the spokesperson added.

Trends identified at IDR inspections to date show that farmers who were issued notices had multiple tagging and record-keeping non-compliance instances.

The department issued the following advice to farmers on best practices to avoid an IDR compliance notice:

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.