Figures revealed this week to Ulster Unionist MLA Jo-Anne Dobson show that the Department of Agriculture administrative bill is £45.2 Million alone in this financial year, an increase of £5 Million from five years ago.

Commenting Mrs Dobson, who is her party’s Agriculture Spokesperson, said: “Across all sectors farmers continue to facing growing hardships, yet these figures show that no such hardships are being felt within the Department as their administrative costs have increased by over 12% in just five years!

“I raised this issue when speaking during the Assembly Budget debate this week.  While farmers continue to receive below production farm-gate prices and at time when Government Departments are expected to be tightening their belts the Agriculture Minister is pouring millions more into the administration of her Department.

“DARD have previously made wild and frankly incorrect claims about their successes in reducing bureaucracy and red tape, yet administration costs are spiralling out of control.  You have to ask what, if any, benefit these additional millions have delivered on the farm yards across Northern Ireland, I suspect none what-so-ever!

“Indeed in the last five years DARD has spent over £207Million on administration alone – a staggering sum given the present financial situation.”

The Upper Bann MLA said: “If DARD was a private business being operated in this manner it would have been in administration years ago. They preach about reducing the administrative burden yet their practice is very different indeed – adopting the very ‘broad board’ approach to finances they advise farmers not to take.”