Ireland faces fines over payments to farmers

EUROPE may impose “substantial” fines on Ireland over the way a compensation scheme for farmers is run.

The Comptroller and Auditor General probed the consolidation of single payment entitlements initiative after Brussels chastised the Republic for the way it was operating.

The European Court of Auditors (ECA) said Ireland should not be compensating farmers for lands rented during the reference period for payments, 2000-2002, but now no longer available.