Negotiations on the new Farmers Charter are at an advanced stage, with the charter expected the be in place early next year.

Responding to a question from Labour TD Derek Nolan, Minister for Agriculture Simon Coveney said the charter will cover the period to the end of 2017.

Last month, IFA Deputy President Tim O’Leary said the review group negotiations on the charter were progressing and some progress had been made in the area of payment targets and deadlines.

However, he said he had written to Minister Coveney over the lack of progress on key issues involving inspections, notice of inspection, tolerances and penalties and the need for major movement by the Department in order to bring greater fairness and equity to the situation.

Both the IFA and the ICMSA have called for the new Investigation Unit in the Department to be subject to the new Charter.

Minister Coveney announced a review of the charter 12 months ago and had hoped the new one would be in place by late 2014.

In his answer to Nolan, Coveney repeated his intention to establish a Charter Monitoring Committee once a charter has been finalised with an independent chair to monitor Charter targets/commitments.