A total of 24 Laois farmers were hit with deductions to their 2021 Basic Payment Scheme after it was proven that land had been burned during the closed season.
In all, 169 farmers across the country were deducted payments, with the Laois figure only lower than Mayo (27) and Cork (25) and the same as Kerry.
The sum of penalties to the farmers nationally was just short of €208,000 combined, according to figures published by the Irish Famers Journal, while in Laois it was almost €25,000. The figure attributed to Kerry was over €70,000.
Land burned between March 1 and August 31 is ineligible for payments under EU rules.
The lands remain ineligible even when investigations show that the source of the fire was unintentional.
The Farmers Journal added that where the lands rendered ineligible are less than 3% of a BPS applicant’s claimed area and less than 2 hectare in size, a payment is made on the claimed area minus the burned area.
When the area is greater than 3% of an applicant’s claimed area or more than 2 hectares, the Department of Agriculture applies administrative penalties in addition to the deductio.
Breakdown of penalties to 2021 BPS as a result of burning
- Mayo – 27 penalties
- Cork – 25
- Laois – 24
- Kerry – 24
- Carlow – 21
- Galway – 13
- Wexford – 10
- Wicklow – 10
- Kilkenny – 6
- Waterford – 5
- Donegal – 2
- Cavan – 1
- Tipperary – 1
Breakdown of combined reductions to 2021 BPS as a result of burning
- Kerry – €70,843.53
- Cork – €43,891.69
- Mayo – €31,954.11
- Laois – €24,641.30
- Wicklow – €10,708.78
- Kilkenny – €7,455.83
- Carlow – €6,731.39
- Wexford – €4,370,06
- Tipperary – €3,801.73
- Donegal – €2,291.76
- Galway – €845.23
- Waterford – €287.76
- Cavan – €41.89
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