THE DEPARTMENT of Agriculture was inundated with calls from the public yesterday seeking information on how to access online details of what farmers receive from the EU under some of its schemes.
The largest farm organisation in the State, the Irish Farmers Association, said in a short statement: "Farmers have nothing to hide."
"The single farm payment is paid out across 27 member states to help meet the stringent food safety, animal welfare and environmental standards demanded by the EU," it concluded.
From last night it became mandatory for details of what farmers received last year from the rural environment protection, young farmers installation, disadvantaged areas, sugar restructuring, and the farm improvements scheme, to be published.
These schemes are only a small segment of payments made to farmers through various EU supports and the public will have to wait until April to view the single farm payment, the largest payment made to farmers annually.
This year farmers will receive almost €1.5 billion in single farm payments, half of this by the middle of next month, six weeks earlier than usual because of the poor harvest.
Also from April the public will be able to access information on the millions of euros paid to Irish meat plants, milk processors and co-operatives for export refunds, market intervention and production aids.