The Department of Agriculture’s IT grant for marts has been branded a “publicity stunt” following the confirmation that only two applications had been submitted to the scheme by late June.

“Most marts invested heavily in improving their IT infrastructure during 2020, with the necessity to getting business online. The funding needed to be retrospective,” Ray Doyle of ICOS told the Irish Farmers Journal.

Items purchased in 2020 are not eligible for grant aid under the marts information and communications technology (ICT) infrastructure scheme 2021.

Poor judgement

Marts can apply for a grant of a maximum of €5,000 to cover 50% of expenditure under the 2021 scheme.

“There’s no grant for the 2020 investors. It’s unfortunate because the larger marts would have spent up to €70,000 upgrading their technology out of necessity at the start of the pandemic,” Doyle continued.

Donegal Mart manager Eimear McGuinness told the Irish Farmers Journal that talks are ongoing to find alternative avenues for marts to draw down the available funding.

“It was very bad judgement by the Department to announce this grant with the knowledge that the vast majority will not have access to it. It’s turning out to be a publicity stunt,” McGuinness said.

“There should be a way to facilitate those who invested during 2020.

“The Department has said they can’t offer retrospective funding, as public expenditure doesn’t allow for it.”

The closing date for receipt of applications to the mart’s ICT infrastructure scheme is 15 November 2021.