The Targeted Agriculture Modernisation Scheme (TAMS 3) provides grants to farmers to build and/or improve a specified range of farm buildings and equipment on their holdings. There is an indicative budget of €370 million available for the period 2023-2027, and all investments must be linked to Climate, Environment or Animal Welfare. To date the total expenditure for TAMS in 2023 has amounted to €39.7 million.
Tranche 1 of TAMS 3 closed on 30 June 2023, with 8,241 applications received across ten separate investment measures. The Solar Capital Investment Scheme opened for applications in February 2023, with the remaining ten measures opening on a phased basis. The final measure - The Women Capital Investment Scheme - opened for applications in June 2023.
Overall, the scheme has proved very popular, with an unprecedented level of applications received (almost four times the average number received per tranche under TAMS 2). Applications received across all of the measures in Tranche 1 are currently being processed. Once the initial processing is completed, all applications are subject to a ranking and selection process, which is a regulatory requirement for all TAMS 3 applications.
To assist farmers that require the construction of slurry and manure storage facilities, or urgent animal welfare-related investments for the winter of 2023/2024, I provided a priority access facility, and all applications received under this facility have now been assessed.
Approvals have now issued to eligible priority access cases, and my Department has also been in contact with farmers where there is a query on their application in order to resolve the query before approval can issue. It is anticipated that non-priority approval letters for Tranche 1 applications will issue shortly, starting with the Solar Capital Investment Scheme.
More than 50% of all investments under tranche 1 are in respect of mobile equipment. Applicants may purchase the mobile equipment, at their own risk, subject to verification of eligibility in accordance with the Terms and Conditions of the relevant schemes.
I also announced previously that 100% of eligible applications under tranche 1 of TAMS 3 will be approved for funding, which is in keeping with my commitment to assist farmers to address animal welfare, climate and sustainability targets.
