Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 20 March 2024
1036. Deputy Michael Moynihan asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if his Department is investigating the use of new technology which has been developed for energy storage capacity on farms.; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12823/24]
View answerMy Department is not engaging with any engineering companies in relation to the development of on-farm energy storage systems. The development of energy storage systems is not under the remit of my Department. Enterprise Ireland is the body responsible for assisting companies to develop new products.
Support for the purchase of energy storage capacity on farms is currently available through the Targeted Agriculture Modernisation Scheme (TAMS 3) administered by my Department. The Solar Capital Investment scheme (SCIS) is one of the measures in TAMS 3, which provides support to farmers to encourage on-farm renewable technology uptake and usage. Grant aid is provided for the installation of Solar PV technology together with battery storage on Irish farms.
I believe that the suite of TAMS schemes, including the Solar Capital Investment Scheme, is the best mechanism for ensuring that investment funding is targeted most effectively. I will ensure that the list of investment items will continue to be reviewed on a regular basis. The inclusion of further investment categories will, of course, be dependent on the availability of the required funding.
