I see the Department of Agriculture ramped up expenditure on its farms last year, spending €522,807 in 2017. The costs were spread across five farms and research facilities – Backweston, Longtown, Tops, Kildalton and Ballyderown – and equates to €104,561 per farm for 2017.

A spokesperson for the Department said: “The high level of expenditure in 2017 was due to the purchase, planned for a number of years, of both a cereals trials combine and grass trials harvester for the Backweston Farm crop evaluation centre. These harvesters are built to scientific evaluation standards, are replaced only when no longer fit for purpose and all purchases are made in accordance with public procurement rules.”

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