There could be potential for farmers to get grant aid for rubber mats the Irish Farmers Journal understands. However, it will only apply to farmers in certain circumstances.

When you are applying for grant aid on a shed, there is a reference cost/m2 that you will use to get the predicted cost for the entire shed. If we say for example the reference cost is €150/m2 for the shed and the shed has a total area of 300m2, then the total reference cost is €45,000 excluding VAT. This is the predicted cost that the Department will use to determine how much grant aid you are eligible for.

If you are a general applicant then you could be eligible for 40% of the €45,000 or €18,000 in grant aid.

Minimum specification

The Department’s specifications are the minimum standard to which buildings should be constructed, but they are not the maximum. Rubber mats are seen as an additional extra above the standard. However, there is scope to receive grant aid on rubber mats but only where the shed comes in under the reference costs. If the final shed cost is €42,000 excluding VAT, then there would be €3,000 left to make up to the maximum reference costs.

If a farmer was to install rubber mats that cost €3,000 and included this receipt in the payment claim then this would be eligible for grant aid on the mats. The Irish Farmers Journal understands that farmers have received grant aid in wsuch circumstances. This will generally only be an option for suckler or beef farmers installing investments below the €80,000 ceiling, as many cubicle sheds will far exceed this ceiling. However, the reference costs for buildings, from experience, is that they will generally be in line with the actual cost of the building or slightly below, so just how many farmers will be eligible for this is unknown. What we do know is that the Government and the Department are reluctant to add rubber mats to the list of eligible items.