The solar scheme will be ringfenced with its own investment ceiling of €90,000 and will be grant aided at the enhanced rate of 60 per cent. The other investments will become available on a phased basis during Tranche 1 which will close on June 16.
TAMS 3 will run for five years with a budget of €370m, and there are a range of new improvements to the scheme, according to the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM), including increased grant-aid rates, investment ceilings, new investments, and new support categories. This includes enhanced grant-rate of 60 per cent compared to a lower rate of 40 per cent in TAMS II in respect of investments under the low emission slurry spreading equipment, organic capital investments and farm safety investments.
Commenting, Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Charlie McConalogue, said: “TAMS will continue to support productive farming and help ensure that we remain a modern and futureproofed sector. We are also using TAMS to align more with our climate and sustainability goals through renewable energy, low emission spreading equipment and higher grant rates for organic farmers. It will also be a driver of our priorities on increasing the number of young farmers and women farmers and improving farm safety. with higher grant rates for all of these.”
Ifac, has welcomed the solar-panel development, with its head of farm support, Philip O’Connor describing it as ‘music to the ears’ of many of its clients and farmers.
“We know this because last week our fifth annual farm report, containing the views of 1,160 Irish farmers, revealed that both spiralling input costs and climate action to meet Ireland’s climate targets are very much front of mind. Our report confirmed that more than half (52 per cent) of Irish farmers say the biggest barrier to adopting renewable projects is the level of financial investment required coupled with the low returns, and over half (54 per cent) are concerned about their electricity and gas costs at home.
“This announcement about this targeted scheme for solar will help to meet the appetite in the farming community for farmer-developed renewable projects and help farmers to proactively tackle rising energy costs and generate their own power. It will have a positive long-term impact on the sector overall, rural Ireland and our environment.”
You can read more about TAMS 3 and its various investments in the next issue of Irish Farmers Monthly.