Ó Cuív hits out at ‘bureaucrats’ as overclaim is revealed to be less than 1%

Department of Agriculture officials have revealed the amount of land overclaimed for single farm payment in Ireland is slightly less than 1%.

They have estimated the overclaim is 44,000 hectares out of the 4.7 million hectares declared under the single farm payment scheme and the other direct aid schemes annually by 132,000 farmers.

Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív said the single farm payment over-claim for 44,000 hectares is only about €8 million out of a €2 billion total in Ireland.