As exclusively revealed in last week’s Irish Farmers Journal, Aidan O’Driscoll has been summoned before the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture to answer questions on farm inspections.

This follows months of pressure led by IFA’s north Tipperary chairman Tim Cullinan.

The pig farmer has claimed that the Nenagh office of the Department of Agriculture has had the highest level of farm inspections and cross compliance penalties in Ireland.

Figures revealed by the Irish Farmers Journal earlier this year show that the Department’s Nenagh office carried out an average of 321 inspections in each of the six years to 2015, compared to the national average of 299.

The average penalty was higher for these farmers. Nationally the average penalty applied over the six years was €880 – for them it was €1,303.

The meeting takes place at 5pm in Leinster House but the session will be held in private.

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Aidan O’Driscoll to appear before Oireachtas committee

The secretary general of the Department of Agriculture will appear at a closed session of the Oireachtas agriculture committee on Tuesday evening, the Irish Farmers Journal understands.