The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine has published the beneficiaries of direct payments under the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) for 2021.

EU member states are required to publish a list of beneficiaries of all forms of CAP funding each year.

The department must publish this list by May 31 each year. The data refers to the previous financial year (2021).

The annual publication on the department website includes the name of the beneficiary (which may be an individual person, company or other legal entity); the county or municipality where the beneficiary is resident; and the amount of payment for a particular CAP measure.

In terms of direct payments, the beneficiaries who saw the highest payment were Michael and Gabriel Hoey of Co. Dublin, who received €230,547.41 in 2021.

This was followed by O’Shea Farms Unlimited of Co. Kilkenny, which received €219,188.97. This business also received the second-highest total of direct payments in 2020.

In third position for 2021 was racehorse breeding enterprise Godolphin Ireland UC in Co. Kildare, which received €218,837.27, as well as €2,586.89 under the Areas of Natural Constraint (ANC) scheme.

Godolphin Ireland UC also received the third highest level of direct payments in 2020.

In fourth position (as with 2020) was T. Brown and A. O’Donovan in Co. Cork, who saw direct payments of €212,295.49, as well as €7,634.01 on the ANC scheme.

The recipient of the fifth highest amount of direct payments was Branganstown Farms Ltd. in Co. Louth, which saw direct payments of €204,371.58.

The table below outlines the top 10 direct payment beneficiaries for 2021:

Beneficiary nameCounty/municipalityAmount of direct payments 2021 (€)
Michael and Gabriel HoeyDublin230,547.21
O’Shea Farms UnlimitedKilkenny219,188.97
Godolphin Ireland UCKildare218,837.27
T. Brown and A. O’DonovanCork212,295.49
Branganstown Farms Ltd.Louth204,371.58
Castlecor Potatoes UnlimitedCork203,075.63
Park Farms PartnershipCarlow202,884.98
Kevin, Martin and Brid ByrneKildare192,887.59
John and Peter Queally Waterford190,750.13
Hans Weirner Meis Galway189,126.45

Rounding out the remainder of the top 10, Castlecor Potatoes Unlimited in Co. Cork received the sixth highest amount of direct payments, with €203,075.63, plus €2,028.09 on the ANC scheme.

Next up was Park Farms Partnership in Co. Carlow, which received €202,884.98 in direct payments, along with €5,000 in agri-environmental payments.

After that was Kevin, Martin and Brid Byrne of Co. Kildare, who received €192,887.59 in direct payments.

John and Peter Queally of Co. Waterford were up next, with direct payments totaling €190,750.13, as well as €2,586.89 on the ANC scheme.

Finishing out the top 10, Hans Weiner Meis of Co. Galway received €189,126.45 in direct payments in 2021, along with: €5,000 in agri-environmental payments; €4,600 in animal welfare payments; €3,202.05 on the ANC scheme; and €14,216.22 in organic farming payments.

2021’s top 10 is quite similar to the top 10 for 2020, with only two new entries – Kevin, Martin and Brid Byrne; and John and Peter Queally.