ICMSA anticipates 'very significant take-up' for TAMS storm support
The Irish Creamery Milk Suppliers' Association (ICMSA) has said it expects "very significant take-up" among farmers for new supports for dealing with storm damaged roofs under the Targeted Agricultural Modernisation Scheme (TAMS).
Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine Martin Heydon announced yesterday (Thursday, March 6) that a new tranche of TAMS is to open for storm damage on farms.
The minister outlined the support available to farmers under the scheme in response to the unprecedented damage caused to the agriculture sector by Storm Éowyn.
This tranche will open immediately after the current tranche closes today (Friday, March 7), and will close on March 28, while an applications process for support to deal with damaged roofs is expected to open later this year.
Responding to the new TAMS support, the ICMSA said farmers will "welcome and appreciate" the minister's decision.
Pat O'Brien, the association's Farm Business Committee chairperson, said: "After the devastation caused by Storm Éowyn’s high winds damaging farm buildings across the country that also left farms without electricity and water for weeks, [we welcome] the introduction of this sensible solution that will certainly receive a large response and will reduce the cost burden of repairs for farmers.
He added: "The minister said that the application process for this investment is to be available later this year and we’d urge him and his department to ensure the systems are in place as soon as possible – and certainly before there’s a possibility of storms starting again next Autumn.
"The priority has to be to repair before there’s a possibility of another storm that could put the shed roofs beyond the point of repair entirely.
"There are many cases where traditional farm sheds may need replacement roofs, and the grant scheme should allow a farmer to replace on a like-for-like basis if the farmer wishes to retain the history and heritage of such buildings," O'Brien said.
"During storms, falling roofs pose a significant threat to human and animal safety; farmers prepared to the best of their ability for Storm Éowyn but the destruction on farms that it caused was beyond their control in so many cases," he added.
O'Brien also welcomed the fact that all generators will now be supported by TAMS, so that farmers will be able to receive grant-aid for diesel generators.
"The ICMSA had previously written to both the Minister for Agriculture and Minister for Finance seeking this specific change.
"In light of recent storms, the ability to invest in a generator is important to future-proof farms against extreme weather events, especially given their frequency. The changes to grant aid will help in this regard," he said.
