Minister Facing Farm Subsidy Questions

There's a major cash injection on the way for one of NI's pivotal Executive departments.

Taxpayers will foot a £100m bailout to the Department of Agriculture & Regional Development (DARD) because of farm subsidies.

The Minister Michelle O'Neill (pictured) is under pressure to make an urgent report to the Assembly as to why DARD could need such a sum - which includes £64m in costs already incurred because of the issue.

The overall bill follows audits by the European Union into single payments to farmers dating back to 2005 and has led to overpayments being flagged up with fines being imposed after mistakes in how the scheme was administered proved costly.

The Stormont Agriculture Committee has called on the Sinn Fein Minister Ms O'Neill to make an urgent report on the financial corrections.

Agriculture Chair Paul Frew said: "When you look at it, at £100m, that cannot be laughed at. That is money that should be going into the economy and it is not.

"But we haven't paid any of that yet and we need to get to the bottom of when are we going to pay it, who we are going to pay and how much we are going to pay."

The Alliance Agriculture Spokesperson Kieran McCarthy MLA has said he is also deeply frustrated that Northern Ireland could face fines that could reach £100m regarding single farm payments.

He has also called on the Agriculture Minister to make a statement on the issue to the Assembly as a matter of urgency.

"The public deserve answers and the Minister should come to the Assembly on this issue as a matter of urgency.

"For Northern Ireland to be in a position that could see us face fines that could reach £100m is simply appalling.

"This is a staggering sum of money and could have a profound impact on the region. This is a tough time at present and fines like this could hit the region very hard.

"We are facing many challenges regarding our public finances and this is a matter of massive significant for everyone across Northern Ireland.

"It beggars belief that we could face fines of this level and that it appears that adequate measures to prevent us from facing EU fines were not in place," he concluded.

(BMcC)