Details of farmers’ payments published

INFORMATION on Irish farmers, including their names, EU funding payments and early retirement plans, have been published on the Department of Agriculture website despite concerns from the farming sector that the details will be a “charter for nosey parkers”.

An EU ruling has made it obligatory for data about those in receipt of EU agricultural payments to be published for transparency purposes.

The information will be used by national or EU audit or investigation bodies for the protection of its financial interests, according to the EU.

Details of beneficiaries of schemes funded by the European Agricultural Guarantee Fund (EAGF) or the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development were made available on www.agriculture.gov.ie at midnight last night.

An average payment to farmers is approximately €11,000, but it is known that some large beef companies get hundreds of thousands of euro annually.

Insiders have hinted those in receipt of such payments have worked to prevent the measure and stir up anger in the farming community.

Ireland was the only country to fight the publication measure when it was discussed in Brussels.

However, Labour spokesman for agriculture Sean Sherlock maintains the move may be beneficial to farmers in the long run.

“This will show the vast number are getting far less than the public thinks,” he said. “My own experience is that most small farmers are in receipt of approximately €10,000 to €20,000 a year, and are 60 to 70 % dependent on this subsidy.”

Mr Sherlock believes the move away from subsidies, under Common Agriculture Policy (CAP) reform, could potentially be harmful for small farmers who rely heavily on EU funds.

Under the CAP reform, there will be a move away from these kind of direct payments to farmers, he said, with more investment in rural development plans.

Mr Sherlock hinted the move towards this kind of investment may not be entirely beneficial for farmers.

“It’s possible some of the money will fall into a black hole,” he said

“It will be important to make the case for the farmers who still need it. I think the angst about this particular initiative is perhaps unfounded, as down the road it may help to prove to people that farmers really do need these subsidies, and they are not that much.”

A spokesman for the department conceded some farmers are unhappy about the move but pointed out that it is a EU mandatory requirement, over which it has no control.

An IFA spokesman said farmers have nothing to hide.

Meanwhile, it emerged last night that the larger single farm payment, paid out across 27 member states to help meet the stringent food safety, animal welfare and environmental standards demanded by the EU, will not be listed on the website until next April.