The Department of Agriculture is in the process of carrying out almost 7,000 remote-sensing (satellite) inspections for area-based schemes in 2018. In total, 8,000 land eligibility inspections are to be undertaken by the Department in 2018.

The balance of around 1,000 inspections will be completed as on-the-ground inspections. Satellite inspections can be used in place of an on-farm inspection for schemes such as the Basic Payment, Greening, Areas of Natural Constraint and Young Farmers’ Scheme.

EU regulations

In a statement to the Irish Farmers Journal, the Department of Agriculture said: “The EU regulations governing these schemes require that the inspection process is fully completed before any payments are made.”

In cases where any issue is identified as part of a satellite inspection, the Department has said it will be in contact with the applicant on the matter.

Eye in the sky authorised to replace on-farm checks

Eye in the sky: how satellites monitor your farm

Satellites to carry out 90% of land eligibility inspections

By year-end, a total of 8,000 land eligibility inspections will have been undertaken by the Department of Agriculture, of which just under 7,000 will be by satellite.