Farmers protesting outside the Department of Agriculture this morning.

Farmers march against 'unfair' fines

Hundreds of farmers from all over the country attended an IFA protest outside the Department of Agriculture offices in Portlaoise this morning to vent their anger at an increase in inspection penalties on farm families. 
The IFA say that since 2009 the level of penalties has increased five-fold from €780,000 to €4.7m in 2012 and allege that the Department has attempted to hide the rise.
IFA President John Bryan has requested an urgent meeting with the Minister for Agriculture Simon Coveney demanding a full and transparent explanation on the increase in inspection penalties imposed on farmers across the direct payment schemes over the last four years and especially in 2012. 
Mr Bryan says the increase has occurred despite a commitment given by the minister to farmers that the wet weather conditions in 2012 would result in a less onerous inspection regime taking account of the difficulties that farm families were facing. 
“Despite IFA’s concerns on fines the Department officials repeatedly stated that there was no significant increase in penalties,' said Mr Bryan. 'The latest Department data published in this week’s Farmers Journal shows a massive increase in penalties and proves the Department were deliberately misleading farmers and the independent Charter Review Committee on the matter and confirmed IFA’s suspicions at the time.
'This is an extremely serious issue and must be fully addressed and resolved by the Minister for Agriculture. 'It appears there is serious pressure being applied in the Department from the top down to impose more and more penalties and this is now been borne out by the latest figures released.
“Even the latest data provided by the Department is far from transparent on the real level of penalties being imposed as it is presented in somewhat of a camouflaged manner through a three year rolling average”. He said “this appears to be nothing other than a further attempt by the Department to hide the real figures”.
He said that the Minister for Agriculture Simon Coveney must follow through on his commitment for a New Charter of Rights for farmers with fewer inspections, greater tolerances and reduced penalties.