Here in Irish Farmers Journal, we regularly receive reader queries regarding farm buildings and farmyard developments.

Navigating planning permission rules, TAMS specifications and other compliances can be a minefield at times. Below are some of the most recent reader questions we have received, with the following answers compiled from official Department of Agriculture responses, as well as specifications regarding farmyard development and TAMS specifications.

Are clay banks permitted for use in silage slabs?

The use of earth retention walls in conjunction with silage bases presents a significant risk to water quality. Therefore, the use of clay banks is never recommended and farmers are reminded that, in practice, it is difficult to fully achieve compliance with the Nitrates Regulations (SI No. 588 of 2025) if using clay banks.

Clay-banked silage pits are not considered acceptable for new or TAMS grant-aided silage storage facilities. While the Nitrates Action Programme does not specifically prohibit earth-retention walls, it is clear in its requirement that silage effluents must be properly collected and stored in a manner that prevents seepage and run-off to waters.

Where older structures incorporating earth retention walls exist, any consideration of their continued use should involve robust mitigation measures, including the use of a suitably durable impermeable membrane, securely sealed to the concrete base, with the membrane grade capable of withstanding the activity of filling and the load.

The seal must be resistant to the acidic nature of the effluent. The presence of an effluent channel within or around the slab may not reduce the risk.

The integrity of the entire structure must be assured, and any lack of visible leakage is not proof that the structure is fully compliant.

These structures must be assessed against the fundamental requirements of Ireland’s Nitrates Action Programme.

I am looking to erect a meal bin as part of a TAMS application. What criteria dictate whether I have to have full planning permission or exemption on such?

Several factors come into play here. Changes in the latter stages of last year regarding class six buildings (farm buildings) has created more flexibility surrounding farm developments.

The changes allow for a farm building up to 300m2 to be built without planning permission, so long as the total square metres of animal housing within 100m and including the new build does not gross above 450m2. Regarding slurry storage, 1,000m2 of storage can be constructed, so long as the total farm storage (including the new storage) does not exceed 1,500m2.

Rules regarding proximity to roads, other dwellings and watercourses will remain, which is equally as important as the above gross area.

If an environmental impact assessment or an appropriate assessment of the development is required, eg SAC, SPA land, full planning permission will continue to be required. Such exempted structure cannot be situated, and no effluent from such structures can be stored, within 10m of any public road.

A structure within 100m of any public road should also not exceed eight metres in height.

No such exempted structure can be situated, or effluent from such structure shall be stored, within 100m of any house (other than the house of the person providing the structure) or other residential building or school, hospital, church or building used for public assembly, save with the consent in writing of the owner and, as may be appropriate, the occupier or person in charge thereof.

Finally, no unpainted metal sheeting shall be used for roofing or on the external finish of the structure.

In essence, the farmer above needs to ensure that the gross area of existing and new developments (a new meal bin base measures 9m2 as standard) does not exceed 450m2, that it is not situated on designated land, within 10m of a public road or 100m of a dwelling house other than your own.

I was accepted into the organic scheme last year, but the majority of my housing is slatted accommodation, with smaller creep areas to the rear for spring-born suckler calves. What changes do I need to make to make these sheds compliant under Organics?

Slatted areas for cows combined with a solid floor area must provide at least 50% of the minimum floor area as solid floor area (lie-back).

It is important to ensure that the total minimum and solid floor areas are achieved for both the cows and calves when converting existing houses to organic production.

Placing a screed of concrete over existing slats is not a permitted way to reduce the existing slatted area.

If it is necessary to reduce the existing slatted area, the existing slats shall be removed and replaced with solid slabs.

The addition of new slabs should be sourced from the ‘’accepted slat list’’ of the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine. Where the entire area is a solid floor, a scraped bare concrete passage is acceptable, provided at least 50% of the area of the pen is a bedded solid floor area. There is also an increase in the minimum lying space per animal under organics, which will often result in a shed having a standard feed face of 4.8-6m, but a significantly deeper pen depth.

As a general recommendation, for every 100kg of animal liveweight, 1m2 of space should be provided. Up to 100kg, calves require 1.5m2, with 100-200kg animals requiring 2.5m2. 200-300kg animals require 4m2, while animals 350kg and above require 5m2, with 1m2 provided for each 100kg liveweight of the animal.

Unlike other EU countries, Ireland does not require an outdoor exercise area for cattle due to our summer grazing system, with the exception being stock bulls who require a 30m2 outdoor exercise area.

The indoor space area of the stock bull is also higher than for conventional systems, with 10m2 of a floor area required.

Grant aid in the form of the Organic Farm Capital Investment Scheme (OFCIS) is available for removing slats and replacing with solid slabs. In the above farmers case, it is likely that slats will have to be replaced with solid slabs.

What are the current costs of erecting a suckler beef shed with a slatted tank, creep area and a crush? Am I better to go with or without grant aid?

This is a common question that farmers ask, with several reasonings behind why they may wish to forgo a grant. Firstly, many who chose to go without a grant do so as they do not wish to apply for planning permission.

This is highly unrecommended, due to a farm building being a fixed structure, planning permission or a letter of exemption is required whether a building is grant aided or not.

Timing is another issue. Many farmers, and rightly so to a certain extent, complain about the long wait times regarding the processing of TAMS.

As a rough guideline, between applying for planning permission, processing of an application and erection of a shed, a farmer is looking at a wait time of 15 months, depending on how speedily a contractor can complete the work.

Applications for planning permission should generally be processed in two months, provided further documentation or surveys are not required.

Regarding costings, a general guide should see most lean-to suckler sheds with a covered canopy area and creep cost €25,000 per bay; the longer the shed the more costings will be reduced per bay.

A standard four bay slatted shed capable of housing 32 suckler cows and their calves will rung to circa €100,000 plus VAT before grant aid is taken in to account.

In my opinion, there is very little to be saved in building a shed unless the quality is to be compromised.

The same volume of concrete, cladding, slats, gates and barriers will be required, albeit it at a slightly higher specification, but it is very hard to save €20,000 in the above €100,000 shed.

I have an older slatted shed that I wish to replace the slats, gates and barriers in and install calving cameras in. My issue is that there is an internal agitation point which I will have to remove. Can I apply for all these items in the same tranche or does the agitation point have to be moved first?

From my understanding, yes, the agitation point has to be moved.

The Department have been very strict on this, with no grant aid given for any investments in a shed that has an internal agitation point or shares an air space with a shed that does.

I have even heard cases of base stations for herd health and heat detection systems not being allowed to be affixed to the outside of such sheds.

As the extension of tanks for the removal or internal agitation points and creation of external ones is classed under the Farm Safety Capital Investment Scheme (FSCIS), you are guaranteed to have your application accepted in the current tranche and a 60% grant rate will be given.

The same goes for the replacement of the slats once you install the external agitation point. However, there is currently no grant aid given for the installation of new barriers in an older slatted shed.