All building work carried out for TAMS II Young Farmers Scheme (YFS) must be done to Department of Agriculture specification. The specifications require certificates of quality for some of the materials used. Examples include a concrete quality certificate, slat certificate or structural steel protective coating certificate. It is important to note the following:

  • All electrical work must comply with national rules on electrical installation, an ETCI certificate and a supplementary agricultural certificate will be required.
  • Every sheet of cladding material used must have an identifiable stamp approved by the Department (specification S102).
  • Where relevant, materials must be CE marked and accompanied by a declaration of performance and CE certificate – as specified in the relevant Department specification.
  • All steel frames for buildings shall be CE certified and accompanied by a declaration of performance. In the case where the steel frames for the buildings are fabricated by the applicant, the CE certificate for the purchase of the material and the welding certificate must be provided.
  • Farm safety training course

    All applicants to the TAMS II YFS must complete a farm safety course. It must be undertaken within the five years prior to submitting a claim for payment of the grant aid.

  • You must do the half-day farm safety code of practice course (given by Teagasc or other trained persons) or have completed the FETAC Level 6 advanced certificate in agriculture (green cert).
  • In the case of a registered farm partnership or a company, the course must have been completed by the young farmer.
  • In the case of an application from two eligible young farmers in a registered farm partnership, only one of the applicants needs to have completed the course.
  • No conversions

    A basic rule of the new scheme is that no grant aid will be paid where there is a slurry agitation point inside a shed. In addition:

  • Conversion of existing structures is not eligible for grant aid.
  • The maximum eave height for any roofed structure shall not exceed 5m.
  • Concrete equivalent to an 8m-wide apron across the longest working side of the animal house may be provided with each structure being grant-aided.
  • The following information is provided for roofing over feed areas and animal yards to reduce volumes of slurry/soiled water requiring storage.

  • A roof may be constructed over any slatted feed area, as an extension to existing buildings or separately as part of farm development. External agitation points must be provided.
  • A roof may be constructed over an existing solid feeding yard, either as an extension of an existing animal house or as a standalone structure.
  • A roof may be constructed over a new or existing collecting yard for dairy cows.
  • A covered tank may be constructed under either a new or existing collecting yard. If the yard is to become part of an animal house, then agitation points must be provided. If the tank is constructed to collect only soiled water, agitation points are not needed, but an external safety manhole must be installed for the extraction of the soiled water.