Kerry farmer and ICMSA development officer Robert O’Mahony insists that he was never told he would be liable for a membership charge by Teagasc when joining a sheep Knowledge Transfer (KT) group in December.

“I knew nothing whatsoever about it until a month ago when I got the bill saying I owed them €145,” he told the Irish Farmers Journal.

“They’re trying to hold me to ransom, saying they won’t put in the application form unless I pay them. It’s not good enough for a state agency to issue a letter like that.”

“I’m not going to pay and if that means I don’t get paid [the KT €750], so be it. I’ll only lose out on around €370 when everything is paid, but Teagasc will lose out on €645 on me,” he maintained.

“The group itself and the facilitator were great, but this bill is leaving a sour taste.

“It’s like going to a garage with a puncture and they billing you for changing the engine.”