Irish farming charity repays €109,000 in wrongly claimed Covid support
Macra Na Feirme, an Irish farming charity with around 10,000 members and an annual budget of over €2.5 million, was ordered by Revenue to repay €109,000 after it wrongly claimed government Covid-19 support. The charity's tax compliance certificate was temporarily suspended, which prevented it from accessing public funds during the process. The enforcement action only became public following a protracted dispute between the charity's chief executive Mick Curran and financial manager John Mac Cormaic.
The charity overclaimed €75,000 under the Temporary Wage Subsidy Scheme in 2020, initially expecting a 25 per cent income drop that would have qualified it for support. However, after three months it became clear the charity's finances were too strong to justify the claim, so it discontinued the application but retained the money already received. Mac Cormaic disclosed the matter to Revenue in July 2022, on the same day his probation period was not extended, and subsequently took a case to the Workplace Relations Commission claiming he was penalised under the Protected Disclosures Act. The repayment was completed in staged instalments, concluding in March 2026.
- Farming charity had to repay €109k in wrongly claimed Covid wage support.
- Financial manager disclosed the overpayment same day his probation wasn't extended.
- Charity also faced scrutiny over related party payments not properly declared.
New here? Start with this
Macra Na Feirme is an Irish farming charity with around 10,000 members and an annual budget exceeding €2.5 million. During the Covid-19 pandemic, the Irish government introduced wage subsidy schemes to help organisations maintain staff when revenue fell. The charity applied for support under one such scheme in 2020, initially expecting its income to decline significantly.
After three months, it became clear that Macra Na Feirme's finances were stronger than anticipated and no longer warranted the subsidy. The charity discontinued its application for ongoing support, but it did not repay the money it had already received under the scheme. Revenue subsequently ordered the organisation to return €109,000 that had been wrongly claimed.
The matter became public through a dispute within the charity between senior figures. John Mac Cormaic, the financial manager, reported the overclaim to Revenue in July 2022 and later claimed he was penalised for doing so. He brought a case to the Workplace Relations Commission under legislation that protects employees who disclose wrongdoing.
Read the full article at the source →
Originally published by Daily Mail as “The inside story of why farming charity Macra Na Feirme had to pay back over €100k to the taxman – and the row between two executives at the centre of it all”.