The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) has highlighted examples of potential fraud cases across agricultural schemes, including claims made on behalf of deceased farmers.

The case studies were detailed during a recent series of training sessions organised by DAFM's anti-fraud unit for approved farm advisers.

The department told advisers "protecting CAP funding is a shared responsibility that safeguards Irish farming, rural families and strengthens the long-term resilience of the rural Irish economy".

Under the Criminal Justice Act, all DAFM officers and farm advisers are legally required to report suspected fraud.

The legal action in fraud cases can range from a full clawback of monies claimed to referral to An Garda Síochána for possible criminal prosecution.

Fraud

Among the case studies outlined by the department was income support applications being made on behalf of an applicant who was "long deceased".

The department claimed that applications had been submitted by different agents across multiple years.

DAFM added the applications were submitted without ever trying to contact the applicant and that documents had been signed by a relative of the deceased herd owner.

Among other examples of potential fraud were a "huge increase" in the claimed area, including "multiple new plots", in a Basic Income Support for Sustainability (BISS) Scheme application.

The department also pointed to "multiple transfers of entitlements submitted by way of sales and leases".

This was despite the documentation not being signed by transferor and witnesses’ signatures being forged and copied, DAFM claimed.

DAFM

Among the fraud examples in the Agri-Climate Rural Environment Scheme (ACRES) were applications being submitted on behalf of incapacitated or deceased farmers.

DAFM also raised issues with Targeted Agriculture Modernisation Schemes (TAMS 3) where over €120 million has been paid out to date.

The potential fraud cases under the scheme included the purchase of second-hand machinery which was "passed off as new".

In other cases, machinery was never purchased or delivered, while invoices may have been "inflated".

In the Organic Farming Scheme (OFS), the department outlined an example where multiple applications shared the same address, name, and email as a contact for multiple herd numbers.

DAFM claimed there was an attempt to artificially split a larger holding within family to maximise payments under the scheme.

Advisors

The department said that approved advisers are "critical" to the delivery of farm support schemes.

A total of €2.14 billion in payments to farmers and fishers will be paid out in 2025.

According to DAFM, each adviser is, on average, submitting claims in excess of €1.5 million on an annual basis.

The department noted that advisers are "not inspectors", adding that farmers' non-compliance is "not automatically advisers' issue either".

However, it said it was important to advisers to ensure they are protected and have clear instruction, "particularly where family disputes are concerned".

During the training, the department pointed to examples of suspected fraud cases across Europe being investigated by the European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO).

The EPPO is the independent public prosecution office of the European Union.

It is responsible for investigating, prosecuting, and bringing to judgment crimes against the financial interests of the EU.