This is a subscriber-only article
Minister Creed was responding to a question in the Dáil this week from Fianna Fáíl TD Niamh Smyth. Deputy Smyth asked Minister Creed if he would consider adding CCTV and other security grants farmers to the Targeted Agricultural Modernisation Scheme (TAMS).
With the vast majority of approvals yet to be drawn down by farmers, Minister Creed said it is not his intention to have additional measures added to the existing list.
For this reason, I am not proposing to open the scheme to new investments
TAMS, which is aimed at improving facilities on farmyards, has 15,000 applications made to date. Of those 15,000, over 11,500 have been approved to start work.
However, just 23% of those approvals have resulted in farmers drawing down the farm improvement grants.
“To date, only 2,670 payment claims have been submitted.
“The Department has actively encouraged all approved applicants to submit payment claims including by contacting approved applicants individually by text message.
“All 11,500 approvals issued represent potential outstanding liabilities for the Department. Until these approvals mature to payment stage or the timeframe of the approval expires a budgetary provision must be available to make payments.
“For this reason, I am not proposing to open the scheme to new investments.”
SHARING OPTIONS: