Brendan Smith
Ceist:137. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the expected timeline for approval to issue in respect of TAMS; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51376/23]
Amharc ar fhreagraWednesday, 22 November 2023
Ceisteanna (137)
Freagraí scríofa
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.
Tranche 1 of TAMS 3 closed on 30 June 2023, with a total of 8,241 applications submitted. The scheme has proved very popular, with an unprecedented level of applications received (almost four times the average number received per tranche under TAMS II).
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 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.
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 that 100% of eligible applications under tranche 1 of TAMS 3 will be approved for funding, which is in keeping with the commitment to assist farmers to address animal welfare, climate and sustainability targets.
Applications received across all the measures in Tranche 1 are currently being processed. Once the initial processing is completed, all applications will be subject to a ranking and selection process, which is a regulatory requirement for all TAMS 3 applications.
All eligible applications will then proceed to further detailed processing, with approvals issuing to successful applications shortly, on a scheme-by-scheme basis, starting with the Solar Capital Investments Scheme.