The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine has yet to receive payment claims from approximately 9,000 approved TAMS II applications.
A total of 11,400 applications have been received under the TAMS II (Targeted Agricultural Modernisation) scheme. However, just over 2,300 payment claims have been lodged with the department.
These figures were revealed by the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Michael Creed, recently in response to a parliamentary question from Fianna Fail TD Eamon O Cuiv.
- Young Farmers Capital Investment Scheme;
- Dairy Equipment Scheme;
- Organic Capital Investment Scheme;
- Animal Welfare, Safety and Nutrient Storage Scheme;
- Low-Emission Slurry Spreading;
- Pig and Poultry Investment Scheme;
- Tillage Capital Investment Scheme.
A “wide range of investment items” are available under each of these measures to help Irish farmers improve their farms, Minister Creed explained.
“The scheme is co-funded by the National Exchequer and the EU’s European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development under Ireland’s Rural Development Programme. The total allocation for the TAMS II scheme in the 2014-2020 Rural Development Plan is €395 million.
“The online payment claim system for TAMS II opened in July 2016. Payment claims for approved investments continue to be submitted to this system and processed for payment.
“These claims were received and processed at an average rate of €1 million per week in the past few weeks, following the busy construction period over the summer months,” he said.
It is believed that the 11,400 approvals issued since 2015 have an estimated commitment value of €172 million. But, to date, payments amounting to over €23.7 million have issued in respect of 1,682 payment claims received from the approved applicants.
Minister Creed reminded applicants that payment claims must be lodged with the department before any monies can be issued.
“I would strongly urge all approved participants in the scheme, who have completed their approved works, to submit their payment claims to the online system so that payments can issue without delay,” he concluded.