To date, the Department of Agriculture has approved 4,832 TAMS II applications, the Minister for Agriculture, Michael Creed has said.

Some 9,087 farmers have applied to the Targeted Agricultural Modernisation Schemes (TAMS) I, figures show.

The Minister, in response to a parliamentary question from Fianna Fail’s Spokesperson on Agriculture, Charlie McConalogue, said that the total number of payment claims lodged to date is 472.

Meanwhile, the total number of payment claims that have been approved for payment to date is 135, he said.

“It should be noted that Tranche 5 remains open for the submission of applications up to and including January 13, 2017.

“Approvals and payment claims submitted online continue to be processed on an on going basis.

“Farmers who have completed the work are urged to lodge their payment claims without delay so that their grants can be paid before the end of the year.”

The Minister also outlined the number of applications to TAMS II to date on a county-by-county basis:

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TAM II compromises of six individual schemes which include:

  • Young Farmer Capital Investment Scheme (YFCIS).
  • Dairy Equipment Scheme (DES).
  • Organic Capital Investment Scheme (OCIS).
  • Low Emission Slurry Spreading Equipment Scheme (LESS).
  • Pig and Poultry Investment Scheme (PPIS).
  • Animal Welfare Safety and Nutrient Storage Scheme (AWNSS).

TAMS II proceeds TAMS I, the Farm Waste Management Scheme and the Farm Improvement Scheme.

The scheme presents farmers with investment opportunities that will allow for the development of Irish agriculture.

The benefits of TAMS II range from the construction of new animal housing, the provision of nutrient storage facilities and the ever-important safety elements along with a more environmentally friendly approach to slurry spreading.

Farmers considering entering TAMS II need to make an investment of at least €2,000 to be eligible for grant aid under this scheme.

According to the Department of Agriculture, grant aid will only be paid on approved, completed and eligible expenditure.

Under TAMS II, individual farmers can apply for grant aid of 40% on investments up to a ceiling of €80,000, this is a maximum individual payment of €32,000.

Farmers which reach this grant aid ceiling are not eligible to apply for any other of the TAMS II schemes with the exception of the LESS.

For those farmers in a registered farm partnership with the Department of Agriculture, they can avail of grant aid to the value of €160,000. This applies to applications with two or more eligible partners.

Partnerships containing one qualifying young farmer grant aid will be paid at 60% on the first €80,000 and 40% for the remaining balance.