The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) plans to share data with the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) to prevent farmers from receiving funding twice for the same solar installation.

According to the department it is "required to verify" that solar energy equipment that is grant-aided by DAFM schemes has not already been funded under the SEAI grants scheme.

A public consultation has now opened to gather feedback on DAFM’s plans to share information with the SEAI.

DAFM provides solar grants to farmers, while SEAI offers similar supports to the wider non-domestic sector.

As SEAI has a larger number of applicants and payments, DAFM is proposing to share its list of grant payments with SEAI so the agency can check for duplicate funding.

Currently the two schemes operate separately and all previous payments should be checked each time to prevent double funding.

DAFM intends to share details of its applications due for approval or payment with SEAI which in turn will allow these to be checked before funds are released.

Solar grants

If duplicate funding is identified, DAFM will apply a 100% penalty to the solar investment.

The applicant will receive a letter explaining the penalty and their right to have the decision reviewed by DAFM.

If the penalty is upheld, they can appeal the decision to the Agricultural Appeals Office.

Where SEAI identifies double funding, applicants will also be notified in writing.

The letter will set out the amount that may be recouped, along with the applicant’s rights to seek a review or appeal the decision.

Under the draft sharing agreement SEAI would be able to target its inspections at projects that need checking, rather than inspecting every project that may also qualify for DAFM funding.

DAFM would also be able to identify and prevent cases of double funding.

According to the proposal this would reduce paperwork and inspections, as applicants already funded by SEAI would not need additional desk or on-site checks.

The public consultation - details of which can be found on DAFM's website - on the proposed Data Sharing Agreement between DAFM and SEAI is open until October 14, 2026.