Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 25 October 2022
770. Deputy Michael Ring asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the grant support for agtech and dairy improvement that will be available in a scheme (details supplied), particularly for equipment which reduces labour and improves farm safety; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53347/22]
View answerTAMS has proven itself to be a really important and popular scheme which has driven important farm investments. To date, expenditure under TAMS II has exceeded €377m. Payments under the TAMS II scheme continue to issue on an ongoing basis. TAMS continues to be a hugely successful and beneficial scheme, and I am delighted that it will continue in 2023 in a bigger and better way with a stronger emphasis on environmental investments.
Dairy farmers will continue to be included in TAMS schemes from 2023 onwards. There will also be some changes including a resetting of the investment ceiling to €90,000 and increased grant rates for specified investments that will form part of TAMS. The investment list for grant-aided items is currently being finalised and will be published shortly.
It is also proposed from 2023 onwards to provide grant aid for farm safety investments at the higher grant rate of 60%.
These changes are subject to approval of the Rural Development Plan (RDP) amendment by the European Commission. The amendment is currently with the Monitoring Committee of the RDP for their views before its formal submission to the Commission.
