Farmers have failed to cash EU and Department of Agriculture cheques worth a total of almost €3.5 million over the past three years - but they can still collect the funds.
According to information released by Minister for Agriculture Mary Coughlan, 14,858 cheques issued to farmers either from the EU or the State have not been cashed.
They have a total value of €3.472 million, and were issued between 2002 and 2004.
Ms Coughlan said that "the funds remain on account until such time as a cheque is reissued on request".
She was responding to a written Dáil question from Fine Gael agriculture spokesman Denis Naughten, who asked about the total value and number of uncashed cheques for each of the past five years.
He also wanted to know what uses the uncashed funds were put to.
The figures for out-of-date and not reissued cheques showed that EU-funded cheque payments to the farming community had a total value of €2.422 million for the three years, while €2.101 million in cheques came from nationally funded or EU co-financed payments.
Last year accounted for the largest amount of unclaimed money, when 4,809 cheques valued at €1,734,029 were not cashed.
In 2003 a total of 3,321 cheques went out of date with a value of €853,342.
In 2002 6,728 cheques went uncashed. They had a value of €885,298.
Figures for 2000 and 2001 are not available as a new accounts system was installed in 2001.
