Madam, - After reading a report in your edition of March 29th regarding farm inspections and the attitude of Minister for Agriculture Mary Coughlan to the matter, I find myself somewhat puzzled.
I presume these inspections are to ensure good farm practice and to detect any illegal actions. In return the farmers share in €1.3 billion in EU payments.
So what is the point in giving anybody two weeks' notice of an inspection? It gives plenty of time for anybody doing something illegal to cover their tracks.
Can we expect hotels, restaurants and nursing homes to also get two weeks' notice of inspections? How about the unfortunate fishermen? Will they also be given advance notice of inspections?
In the West of Ireland where there is serious contamination of the public water supply, a report of March 30th states that traces in the water supply are derived from both human sewage and animal faeces. In rural Ireland animal faeces come overwhelmingly from farm animals, yet the politicians and the Department tiptoe around this matter. Is there an election soon? - Yours, etc,
PETER O'SHEA, Lower Albert Road, Sandycove, Co Dublin.