A Fine Gael senator on the Seanad agriculture panel didn’t declare more than €16,000 in farming income while serving as a county councillor last year.
Paraic Brady didn’t declare farming income in his most recent ethics returns as a Longford County councillor – despite receiving €16,759 in EU farm payments between October 2023 and October 2024.
Records obtained by The Ditch from the Department of Agriculture show Brady received Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) payments during this time.
He made no mention of farming income on his last two ethics returns for Longford County Council, covering June 2023 to February 2024 and March 2024 to February 2025 respectively.
Brady previously declared farming income in an earlier return covering February 2022 to June 2023, which included a CAP payment of €13,638 received between October 2022 and October 2023.
He was elected to the Seanad on the agricultural panel in February 2025, having first been elected as a councillor in 2014. He now sits on the Committee on Agriculture and Food. His former council seat was filled by Fine Gael colleague Colin Dalton.
Under the Local Government Act 2001 councillors are legally required to declare any paid occupations in their annual statements of interests.
Brady confirmed to The Ditch he had received the payments but declined to comment further.
