Fines for over-claiming EU payments

CASES of farmers with less than 24 acres being fined up to €10,500 for over-claiming EU payments have been highlighted by public representatives.

Co Cork TDs Christy O’Sullivan and Edward O’Keeffe and Sligo/North Leitrim TD Eamon Scanlon raised the matter at last week’s meeting of the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Agriculture, Fisheries and Food.

Deputy Scanlon said a claw-back of €10,500 is being sought from a 9.42-hectare (23.28-acre) farmer, one of several affected in his area. The TD said this farmer had engaged Teagasc to help him apply for his EU payments. He claimed 9.3 forage hectares, compared to a digitised area of 9.42 hectares, in four parcels. The Department is seeking a claw-back of money paid over the past five years, having trebled the appropriate fine, because the over-claim is deemed to be in excess of 20%.