Speculators with tenuous farming links exploit EU fund by up to €1m

SPECULATORS are making very attractive guaranteed incomes of up to €1 million a year from the European Union’s farm fund, often without owning as much as a garden, and without doing a day’s work on the land.

An investigation into how €27 billion of EU funds is used found that the vast majority goes to genuine farmers and that it has helped agriculture policy.

Ireland’s member of the court, Eoin O’Shea, said the report did not include any negative mention of Ireland.