In-person farm safety training under the Targeted Agricultural Modernisation Scheme (TAMS II) is set to resume, Minister of State Martin Heydon has confirmed.
The training is one of the requirements for successful applicants in the scheme so that payments can be drawn down for approved works.
Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM), Martin Heydon today (February 17, 2022) announced that as Covid-19 restrictions have eased in-person training courses will resume from March 1 next.
He explained that this would help facilitate the submission of Farm Safety Code of Practice (COP) training certificates.
In March 2021, the minister, who has responsibility for farm safety, introduced flexibilities under the scheme due to the ongoing pandemic, including running the courses online.
This was to make it easier for farmers and their agents to continue to participate in TAMS II.
The minister confirmed that the option to complete the safety course online will remain in place until July 1, 2022. However, this will be “on an exceptional basis for participants who cannot attend for Covid reasons”.
The department will review the arrangements at the end of June.
TAMS
Minister Heydon commented: “TAMS is an important mechanism to support farmers investing in newer and safer equipment and facilities for their farms. It is also an opportunity to get the message of safety-first onto these farms.
“We have seen significant uptake under TAMS with over 47,000 approvals issued to date and over 25,000 payment claims processed for payment.
“Farm safety training has been completed and certificates submitted in respect of over 27,000 payment claims, that’s 27,000 farms where safety has been put in sharper focus,” Heydon added.
Minister Heydon added: “The farm safety module of the recently launched Agri-Environment Training Scheme (AETS) is also very important in making farm safety information accessible to farmers.
“Along with assisting farmers to undertake environmental action, we must ensure their health and well-being are protected also. The AETS scheme is now open for applicants and I would encourage any interested farmer to talk to their advisor about participating,” the minister concluded.