In separate interviews with the Irish Farmers Journal, several farmers have accused one Department of Agriculture employee of bullying them and abusing his position to further his own interests.

The claims follow a report in the Irish Farmers Journal last month detailing a similar case involving the same official.

A drystock farmer said the official presented them with an inspection report showing no compliance issues and obtained the farmer’s signature at the top of the second page.

Reward

According to the farmer, the official made positive comments throughout the inspection and hinted that he expected a reward for this. When none was offered, the official allegedly added a negative report under the signature after leaving the farm, which resulted in a 3% penalty. “I believe very strongly that if I had paid him off, I’d be fine,” the farmer said.

Appeals on this case have been ongoing for several years with no resolution, despite the Department inviting an official complaint in the first place, the farmer said.

A dairy farmer said the same official conducted an inspection during the snow this spring and reported effluent runoff from the yard.

While the farmer accepted there was a problem made worse by the snow, they said runoff did not go into a nearby stream, as argued by the official, and added they were planning a new slurry tank to remedy this.

The farmer said that the official behaved like “a big bully” throughout the visit, mixing comments on his personal dislike for the yard’s design with those relating to compliance and promising a 5% to 10% penalty or worse. “He said: ‘I could close you up.’”

The farmer now lives in fear of a penalty arising from the inspection. “We were under pressure with the bad weather, had to borrow money to feed the cows, and he came on top of you. I cried for two nights.”

Vendetta

A beef farmer said the same official had threatened them with the loss of their payments and their off-farm job. The farmer described the official as “a ruthless individual” with a “vendetta” and said his physical demeanour, such as the way he opened gates, was “violent”.

The farmer alleged that the official had tried to use his Department position for financial gain. “If you have calves for sale worth €300, he would say: ‘I’ll give you €150 for it and make sure you’re well looked after,’” the farmer said.

All farmers said they had dealt with officials from the Department and other Government agencies and never encountered similar behaviour.

None of them wished to be named publicly, either because they did not want to jeopardise complaints pending against the official or because they were afraid of him. One of them cited concerns for their family’s safety.

Last month, Co Wicklow farmer Paul Delamere told the Irish Farmers Journal that the same official had appropriated some of his payment entitlements using documents showing apparent discrepancies in signatures in 2009 and 2010.

Still inspecting

Several farmers have told the Irish Farmers Journal that the official was still currently conducting farm inspections for the Department and there has been no evidence of any disciplinary action or redress for the farmers affected.

When contacted in relation to Paul Delamere’s allegations, the official asked the Irish Farmers Journal to put questions to him in writing and has not replied since.

The Department of Agriculture has declined to comment on all allegations.

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No action after alleged entitlements irregularities by Department official

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