After concerns about fake documentation being used in certain poultry farm applications, the Department of Agriculture introduced an "enhanced verification process".
A thorough investigation revealed that more than 20 letters supporting applications had been falsified or altered.
This was the result of an internal investigation by Teagasc, the Irish agrifood agency.
These applications were for the export of chicken manure from local poultry farms.
The falsified documents were discovered by The Detail website and The Guardian.
Chicken litter can be used in the mushroom industry as a fertiliser or on land to grow crops (tillage or vegetables).
The applicant must identify a sustainable outlet for animal manure. This is an important consideration during the planning process.
This is because ammonia can cause ecosystem damage and it is important to meet environmental standards.
You can export chicken litter to the Republic of Ireland and other countries.
A spokesperson for the Department for Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (Daera), stated that it requires the planning application to show evidence that the recipient of the manure is a farmer who can use the manure at the specified location and has accepted it.
The spokesperson stated that the department must accept Teagasc letters as evidence.
According to the department, Teagasc contacted it after an internal investigation that took place in 2021.
It alerted Department for Infrastructure, who contacted local councils to advise that any future Teagasc supporting letters should be authenticated directly with the Irish agricultural-food agency.
Three site operators were cited by the Northern Ireland Environment Agency for possible violations of regulations relating to export records.
According to DAERA, there are currently 24.5 million chickens living in Northern Ireland.
