‘TAMS II payments must not be delayed due to Covid-19 restrictions’- IFA

The Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Michael Creed, has been urged to “temporarily waive” the Targeted Agricultural Modernisation Scheme (TAMS) requirement of completing a health and safety course.

Speaking on the matter, the Irish Farmers’ Association’s (IFA) rural development chairperson, Michael Biggins, said: “Currently, there are no health and safety courses available to farmers due to the coronavirus restrictions.

“While most farmers have the course completed, the IFA is aware that there are some who do not. As a result, we are calling on the minister to provide a temporary concession in order for them to proceed with a payment claim, while giving an undertaking to complete the course when the restrictions end.

The weekly payment of €1.5 million of TAMS II grants must continue, as any disruption would add to cash flow difficulties on farms.

“In the case of a farm investment, financial commitments have already been made by many farmers. Therefore, it is vital that grants continue to be paid out, as farmers have to pay for work upfront and show their receipts before grant aid is paid by the Department of Agriculture.”

Concluding, Biggins said: “2,600 farmers have received approval, under the current tranche, to proceed with work on their farms. However, it is disappointing that 660 farmers were rejected and moved to tranche 17, which closes on April 24.”

Deadline

The current tranche of the TAMS II closes for applications on Friday, April 24.

For farmers that hope to avail of a TAMS grant and plan to improve facilities on their farm this year, it is important that they submit their applications in advance of this date – as applications for the next tranche might take some time to be approved.