BREEDERS and producers who applied for Government funding earlier this year to help upgrade their facilities should find out if they have been approved starting in February.

Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Charlie McConalogue, has confirmed the issuing of approvals under Tranche 1 of the Targeted Agricultural Modernisation Scheme (TAMS 3) has commenced, but equine farmers will be waiting until at least February for theirs.

Minister McConalogue said: “Approval letters for Tranche 1 applications have commenced, starting with the Solar Capital Investment Scheme.

“This scheme, which has its own ring-fenced investment ceiling of €90,000, is grant-aided at the enhanced rate of 60%.

“It enables farmers to consume solar, PV-generated electricity on-site in order to meet their farm electricity demand, including the dwelling house.”

Approvals for all schemes will commence thereafter and it is expected that the first engagement with applicants will have occurred on all files by March 2024, and that the majority of approvals will issue by the end of April 2024.

Equine investments are covered under the Animal Welfare, Nutrient Storage Scheme, approvals for which are expected to be issued in February 2024, and payment claims can then be submitted once the work is complete.

Delays

2023 was the first year that equine farming was eligible for the scheme and it is believed that the number of applications for the first tranche of grants was four times higher than in previous years.

There are also unconfirmed reports that IT problems in the Department contributed to delays.

Meanwhile, the cost of fencing and building materials continues to rise, leaving grant applicants in a position where they are now facing a significantly higher bill for the planned works, if and when they are given the go ahead for facility upgrades.

Important dates

The Minister also confirmed that the current tranche (Tranche 2) of TAMS 3 closed yesterday, Friday December 15th, at 5pm. Tranche 3 of the scheme will open on Monday, December 18 and close Friday, April 12, 2024 at close of business.

“I have decided to close Tranche 2 in the interests of ensuring that applications received since the tranche opened in July can be proceeded with as efficiently as possible, and to ensure that those who need to carry out works in a timely manner in 2024 can be processed, including by affording them the necessary priority,” the Minister said.

“I can also confirm that, as is the case with Tranche 1, all eligible applications received in Tranche 2 will be approved. Similar to Tranche 1, those who have applied for mobile investments may proceed with that investment at their own risk pending formal approval in due course.

“TAMS has been a hugely successful and beneficial scheme since its inception. I believe that the suite of schemes now available in TAMS3 is the best mechanism for ensuring that funding is targeted at the most appropriate enterprises. It has delivered key modernisation, environmental and safety improvements on thousands of farms, while also boosting local economies in the construction phase of developments.’’