Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 16 May 2023
537. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if the announced low-emission slurry scheme under TAMS 3 will be available to contractors; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22775/23]
View answerThe EU regulations (Article 17 of EU Regulation 1305/2013) that provide for the TAMS scheme under the RDP 2014 – 2020, specify that TAMS beneficiaries must be farmers or groups of farmers.
The regulatory transitional provisions for support from the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD) in the years 2021 and 2022 do not alter this definition. These are also the legal basis for TAMS 3.
Therefore, the Department is precluded from funding the purchase of equipment by contractors under TAMS 3 unless they are also farmers. There are, however, a range of Government supports available for contractors in the saw way as other small businesses.
