This was the message from Martin Kenny TD, commenting on the recent publication of direct payments.
The published figures showed a high number of farmers receiving extraordinary high payments of over €150,000. Larry Goodman being a prime example, receiving over €400,000 for his two farms.
The list of payments showed that there were at least ten recipients of fees over the €200,000 mark.
Kenny, the Sinn Féin spokesperson for agriculture food and the marine, questioned the Minister on how these figures were compatible with the cap of €150,000 on payments.
Kenny says these high figures are shocking considering the average farm earns about €24,000 per year.
He says this is not in the spirit of the direct payment scheme and says the Minister had assured him that nobody received higher than the €150,000 cap.
Kenny then called for a future reform of these CAP payments after 2020 and said this should include a definite cap on payments and also a redirection of resources to the smaller farmers, those in the most difficulty and under the most financial pressure.
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