DARD aims to cut 300 jobs or 10 per cent of its workforce over the next 12 months, the Assembly’s Agriculture Committee was told this week.

One member of the Committee, Ulster Unionist MLA for Fermanagh and South Tyrone, Tom Elliott, challenged DARD to ensure that front line services to farmers must be protected with their financial reductions within the Department.

He said: “DARD has indicated that they may lose 300 staff through the financial reductions to their Department. It is therefore essential that they find the proper areas to make these reductions.

“During the past number of years farmers are over-burdened with bureaucracy and inspections. It is very reasonable to demand that at least DARD, DOE and NIEA combine their inspection processes, without individual farmers being subjected to a series of different inspections throughout the year. Unfortunately these type of common sense processes doesn’t appear to be on the DARD agenda.

“DARD need to look at their annual administration costs, which I believe has risen by a further £2.4m this year compared to 2011.

“Whatever decision is taken by DARD it must be in the best interests of their core customer – The farmers. Given their past record it would be a new progression if they were to put the farmer first!” Members of the Assembly’s Agriculture Committee, heard from DARD officials including Permanent Secretary, Noel Lavery, that the staff cuts would amount to around 10 per cent of their total workforce of 2650 or up to 300 job losses.

Each of the departments within the organisation are expected to make 10 per cent staffing reductions.

There were concerns among Committee members during the briefing on Tuesday, of some of the vital services to farmers being affected by the staffing changes.

However after repeated questioning, Permanent Secretary, Noel Lavery, said the first priority was farmers.

Mr. Elliott asked if DARD could look at minimising inspections from one organisation rather than from DARD, DOE and NIEA as was the case at present. He was told they would be looking into this but progessing this internally first.

Mr. Lavery said administrative costs would significantly reduce in the coming year due to staff cuts but some MLAs were unhappy about the red tape and bureacracy which was affecting farmers running their businesses.

There were also questions over the DARD expenditure on the new NIFAIS cattle identification system which is being installed to replace APHIS. This system will allow farmers to follow the number of movements of stock in thier herd.

Edwin Poots MLA said that in the health department, 1.8 million people were on a database system for a cost of £9 million yet Northern Ireland ‘s cattle herd was costing the Department £53 million for a new ID system.

The Permanent Secretary also said the new SFP would be a priority for DARD next year.