Kilkenny TD welcomes higher grant rates for environmental investments including organics and farm safety

The new Targeted Agricultural Modernisation Scheme (TAMS 3) will support farm families in their ongoing efforts to farm with nature and boost their sustainability credentials, according to Fine Gael TD John Paul Phelan.

The new support scheme opens on Wednesday and provides badly needed funding for capital investments on farms, Deputy Phelan said, and support for farm families investing in solar power, milk recording and a host of other sustainability actions.

The funding was confirmed by Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine Charlie McConalogue and Ministers of State Senator Pippa Hackett and Martin Heydon.

“TAMS provides funding for capital investments on farms and will be in place for five years with a budget of €370 million. Tranche 1 of the scheme will open next Wednesday, February 22 with solar panels on farms the first available investment. The other investments will become available on a phased basis during Tranche 1 which will close on June 16," said Deputy Phelan.  

“There are a range of new improvements to the TAMS scheme including increased grant aid rates, investment ceilings, new investments, and new support categories. This includes an enhanced grant-rate of 60% compared to a lower rate of 40% in TAMS II in respect of investments under the Low Emission Slurry Spreading Equipment, Organic Capital Investments and Farm Safety Investments.

“Our farm families are committed to safeguarding the environment, to farming with nature and not against it. Yet they are scapegoated by some and unfairly so. This funding will support our dairy farmers, the tillage and beef sectors and it recognises and rewards the amazing work done by families throughout rural Ireland as custodians of the land and as world-class, quality producers of sustainable food. I would encourage farmers to apply and reap the rewards.”

Minister McConalogue said: “TAMS continues to be a hugely beneficial scheme for farmers, and I am delighted that it will continue in 2023 in a much bigger and better way than previously. TAMS will continue to support productive farming and help ensure that we remain a modern and future proofed sector.

"We are also using TAMS to align more with our climate and sustainability goals through renewable energy, low emission spreading equipment and higher grant rates for organic farmers. It will also be a driver of our priorities on increasing the number of young farmers and women farmers and improving farm safety with higher grant rates for all of these.”

In order to encourage the purchase of solar investments reducing dependence on fossil energy by farmers, the solar scheme will be ring fenced with its own investment ceiling of €90,000 and will be grant aided at the enhanced rate of 60%. 

The Minister added: “At a time of rising energy costs, I have prioritised the introduction of the solar investments first which will be open from next Wednesday. In addition to the higher grant rates, I have also increased the size of the available investments from 12kW to 62kW. The scheme will enable every farmer to generate their own power for their dwelling and holding and will help to achieve a more sustainable rural economy, assisting farmers in reducing energy costs on their holdings”.

Under TAMS 3, the ceiling for investment will be reset to €90,000 per holding for the duration of the scheme. This means every farmer who benefitted under TAMS 2 can reapply in full under the new scheme. In addition, the ceiling for investment for the pig and poultry strand of support will increase to €500,000. Along with the solar panels, the Low Emissions Slurry Spreading (LESS) equipment will continue to have its own standalone investment ceiling.

TAMS 3 will run for five years and will include 10 schemes; it is open for receipt of applications on a phased basis by scheme. Solar will open before Wednesday, February 22. Next to follow will be Animal Welfare, Nutrient Storage Scheme (AWNSS) by mid-March and the remaining schemes will be open for applications on a phased basis by end May.

It is anticipated that the first tranche for all schemes will close on June 16. The scheme does not operate on a first come first served basis and all applications will go through a ranking and selection process after the closing date.

In addition to the changes above, there will be a wide range of new investments included under the TAMS 3 schemes, including the following:

Cattle Underpasses
Farm Roadways
Bovine Fencing
Health and fertility monitoring systems
Automatic Drafting System
Milk recording equipment
Backup PTO generator
Upgrade of water supply on farms with solar and nose pumps
Pasture management machinery, including soil aerators.  Also, mulchers to deal with encroaching scrub, instead of burning, are to be included.
Equine Housing
Equine Training Facilities
Equine Fencing
New investments around lighting, drinkers, and ventilation for the Poultry Sector
Investments to assist the Potato sector around storing and handling are to be included, along with handling equipment for other crops.
Biomass storage and handling equipment is to be included to support renewable energy.
A range of pesticide reduction equipment is being included for the tillage sector including interrow cultivators, and weather stations.