The Minister for Agriculture, Simon Coveney has said that it is anticipated that approvals will commence soon under the first tranche of the TAMS II farm building grants.
The Minister said interest in TAMS to date has exceeded expectations and he said clearly many Irish farmers are looking once again at the benefits of investing in their enterprises and expanding production.
Under the Young Farmer Capital Investment Scheme, a total of 520 applications have been received with over 200 of these applying for dairy investments while over a thousand applications have been submitted for the Dairy Equipment Scheme.
The Minister said all applications received are being examined and approvals will commence when all of the required checks have been undertaken.
“This is a complex process and as all applications for TAMS II must be made under a tranche-based approach, we are required to evaluate, rank and assess all applications received together.
“Applications cannot be approved individually or on a rolling basis as they are submitted,” he said.
According to Minister Coveney, it is anticipated that approvals will commence shortly and will continue throughout December and into the New Year.
“Every effort is being made to facilitate approvals in cases where milking equipment is urgently required,” he said.
Planning concession for young farmers
IFA Rural Development Chairman, Flor McCarthy has said that qualifying young farmers who applied in the first tranche for the Young Farmer TAMS scheme and who are turning 40 years of age and/or would have exceeded the five-year Young Farmer establishment rule in the second tranche, if they were turned down due to not having full planning permission, have been given a concession.
At a meeting with the Department of Agriculture on TAMS, Flor McCarthy said when the first tranche closed on September 25 last some young farmers did not have full planning permission and as a result were being pushed into the second tranche.
However, some of them would not have been eligible as they would have exceeded the five-year rule or the 40-year age limit.
A concession has now been given that these young farmers can submit full planning permission before Friday, December 11, for the works that they have to carry out. If this concession had not been given these young farmers would have missed out on the 60% grant rate.