Farm grant plans 'break EU rules'

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Many of the farmers say there should be a fairer way to allocate grants

The Department of Agriculture may be forced to scrap its decision to allocate new farming grants on a first come, first served basis.

Michael Mann, a spokesman for the Agriculture Commissioner, said the department's methods were "unacceptable" and broke EC rules.

"A first come, first served basis is not an acceptable way of doing this," Mr Mann said.

He was speaking after hundreds of farmers queued overnight to get grants.

However, NI Agriculture Minister Michelle Gildernew has defended her decision saying there was "no easy way" to allocate the money for modernising farms.

Mr Mann said the commissioner's office had written to Dard to explain that the first-come first-served procedure was unacceptable.

"When it comes to modernisation methods like the ones we are talking about in the Northern Irish case, the rules say that you have to make the decision on who gets the money based on clear criteria," he said.

"We have been in contact with the Northern Ireland authorities and told them that a first come, first served basis is not an acceptable way of doing this."

Some farmers spent almost two days queuing outside eight government offices across Northern Ireland to apply for the grants.

'Unwieldy'

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