Payments to farmers under the Tillage Capital Investment Scheme (TCIS) as part of the previous Targeted Agriculture Modernisation Scheme (TAMS II) were worth over €4.8 million.
The data was provided by Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Charlie McConalogue in response to a recent parliamentary question from Sinn Féin agriculture spokesperson, Claire Kerrane.
The TCIS under TAMS II closed to applications on December 16, 2022, with 915 applications received.
Tillage
The data shows that 687 TCIS applications from tillage farmers were approved in 2022, with 507 applications paid.
Last year, TCIS payments under TAMS II amounted to over €3.8 million, with an average payment of €7,586.
There were 253 applications approved under the TAMS II scheme in 2023, with 118 applications paid.
The minister said that over €980,000 was paid to tillage farmers under TCIS this year, with an average payment of €8,317.
McConalogue noted that the first tranche of TAMS 3, including TCIS, opened in February 2023 and closed for applications last Friday (June 30).
“Under TAMS 3, the ceiling for investment for the TCIS was reset and increased to €90,000/holding for the duration of the scheme.
“This means every farmer who benefited under TAMS II can reapply in full under TAMS 3.
“There are no plans to increase the investment ceiling available for TCIS under TAMS 3 in 2023,” the minister said.
TAMS 3 comprises ten different schemes, including TCIS, and provides funding for capital investments on farms. It will be in place for five years with a budget of €370 million.