Sign in. It’s quick, free and it’s up to you.
An account is an optional way to support the work we do. Find out more.
IRELAND IS BEING singled out to pay back money to the EU for agricultural funds that were ‘unduly spent’.
Alongside Slovenia and Greece – Ireland is one of only three countries required to make repayments, under a so-called ‘clearance of accounts procedure’.
Ireland owes €1.06 million for deficiencies in inspections for payments to fruit and vegetables producers.
The EU calculated that a total of €102 million was unduly paid out under the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) to member states – which they now want back.
Whose fault?
In conditions laid out by the EU, member states are responsible for managing the majority of their own CAP payments.
This involves them declaring the correct amount of finance required – among other duties which include ensuring that claims by farmers within their own countries are correct.
The European Commission carries out more than 100 audits a year. In the process of doing so they are able to take back money if they feel that EU funding has not been spent correctly.
How bad are we?
In the broader picture – Ireland has not fared too badly. While we are one of only three countries being picked on, we are by no means the worst offender.
Ireland owes the EU €1.06 million for checks on fruit and vegetable producers. Specifically, there was a lack of “checks on compliance with recognition criteria.”
Slovenia got stung worse than Ireland, having to payback €8.7 million due to irregularities with sugar silos.
The biggest offenders were by far and away Greece, who owe a grand total of €92.86 million.
This comes from a number of different offences, although the biggest amount of correction was required to be paid in relation to ‘Area aid’ and more specifically “correction proposed for weaknesses in the Land Parcel Identification System (LPIS) and on-the-spot-checks” – for which they were required to pay €88.96 million.
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
Let the fruit and veg producer’s repay the dept and not the tax payer
The way I’m reading the article, the fault is with the inspections, not the producers.
What are you doing reading the article Chris?? Just jump straight to the comments section and blame the bankers, Irish Water, the Government etc
I think the term “deficiencies in inspections ” might have primed him Tony …and he didn’t mention anything about the subjects you did ……
The bankers and irish water are responsible for enough ineptitude without blaming them for this but the government haven’t carried out the inspections they committed to carrying out for the EU so yes another broken commitment from FG
Desire, FG gave a commitment to carry out EU inspections of fruit and veg? Must have missed that one. Was it in the programme for Govt or was it an election promise can you recall? Shure FG are responsible for everything that’s wrong even the wet weather.
Don’t pay – just like the water! Why should we?
This is not just like the water and don’t try and mar the intentions of right2water with calls for people to just stop paying everything they owe anyone. This is money we owe so it should be repaid by either the fruit and veg producers or more likely.. The taxpayer. It’s nothing like the water payments.
But Dylan – where did we sign up for this fruit and veg bill?
This is more like Social Welfare than anything to do with water charges.
I suspect they could just reduce the amount we were being paid next year if we didn’t give it back.
Exactly. Pay nobody, don’t pay legitimate bills of any kind. Don’t pay taxes, or water bills.
In fact, lie on the couch and let everyone else pay our bills for us.
OH look another comment about not paying pay for water!
Agree totally John. I’ll vote for any party with that manifesto!
What time is Jeremy Kyle on?
silly little trollls – where were ye yesterday when there was a water charges story ?
I note your change in tactics !
I taught it was only Greece did that
As Miley Byrne ,
who was one of this countrys leading fruit and veg supplies used to say,
‘Well holy God’…..
“You look pale Biddy , do you feel pale ?”
That Wesley Burrows was one condescending pr*ck
Who she?
Europe, Europe über alles!
Why doesn’t the EU just go and fcuk off?
Because we haven’t told them yet !
About time we did!
Send enda a joan over as payment, their both fruits.
Doubt they will get that 90 million outta Greece.
Not sure but wasn’t there some rumor going around that Greek farmers where pulling large nets of camouflage over their fields to hide from aerial inspections back in the day? Looks like it caught up with them.
I would love to know what a large net of camouflage designed to cover entire farms would look like.. As if aerial cameras wouldn’t grow suspicious when Greece is suddenly dotted with blank voids throughout the countryside.
True whole farms would have looked suspicious, as far as I was aware it was only partial areas of the land but if enough people where skimming off the top I could see how it could make a tidy number.
The idea of camouflage is to blend in with the landscape, rather than “blank out” the nets would have been cast high enough for, let’s say, tomatoes vines to grow under. Back in the good days when the cap was generous and especially with wasteful governments. Inspections might not have been a priority a quick aerial flyby would have counted as an area inspected.
I can’t find anything to back it up online so I apologise since it looks like I’m pulling it out of me ar$e. I would like to know how 90 million worth of excess payments went to Greek farmers?
Actually Eric you’re probably right. This is a known con. Other countries out white things in fields to simulate sheep!
Ah here I’ll pay !! That is of course if they’ll take a check !!!
One day, Glen – you’ll post without a spelling error.
2019?
Glen never Cheques for mistakes…
You grammar nazis would be lost without me. Maybe I should be dull and boring and spellcheck instead of trying to have a laugh and at least attempt humour. Seriously some of you, not all but some of you would make a morgue seem fun.
Rise above it Glen …..
Give them the same response that we got from the Ecb, regarding attendance at the banking enquiry.
The Dail bar bill must be up there too
have your say