The Minister for Agriculture has defended the system of inspections on farms after criticism from the Irish Farmers' Association.
Mary Coughlan said her Department ensures that inspections are carried out in a fair and sensitive manner to accommodate the demand of individual farmers.
She said she is the vanguard in driving forward a simplification agenda.
The Minister said she has already raised the difficulties about inspections at EU level and is seeking approval to give farmers prior notification of inspections.
Earlier, the IFA leader, Padraig Walshe, described the system of farm inspections in Ireland as oppressive and unnecessary.
Speaking to the IFA AGM in Dublin, Mr Walshe said his association will make the matter a General Election issue if the Government does not introduce a simpler system.
At the start of his address, Mr Walshe praised the Government for measures in the recent budget and in the new national agreement, Towards 2016.
The new partnership deal, he said, is worth €1 billion a year over the next seven years, which is a 50% increase in funding for farm schemes.
But the IFA is highly critical of the Government over the level of bureaucracy and farm inspections which seek to ensure that farmers are complying with the rules of various schemes for which they get subsidies.
The IFA accused some farm inspectors of heavy-handed tactics and insist that farmers are entitled to respect and reasonable procedures.
Mr Walse warned that the issue will be raised on the doorsteps during the General Election if new rules are not introduced which would guarantee 14 days' advance notice and other improvements.
Mr Walshe also called on the Department of Agriculture to enforce the rules about country-of-origin labelling on food in pubs and restaurants.
