The TAMS solar scheme has been “thrown under the bus” by the Minister for Agriculture, Martin Heydon, those active in the renewable energy sector have claimed.

The Micro Renewable Energy Federation (MREF) said Minister Heydon’s decision to introduce ranking and selection criteria for TAMS tranche 9 meant “thousands of farm families” who were planning on installing solar panels would now put this work on hold.

“This is both a serious blow to the micro-generation of renewable power on farms and to indigenous Irish enterprise where over 300 companies had registered with the Department of Agriculture to provide installation services to the sector,” said MREF chair Ciaran Kells.

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“Government agencies are continually spouting a negative and untrue view of farmers, that they are climate laggards, and yet the supports for a popular decarbonisation scheme that has been widely adopted by farmers is being slashed,” Kells added.

“There is no doubt that this decision will result in hundreds of job losses across the country and the disappearance of a vital skills base among installers,” the MREF chair maintained.

On that basis, I have decided to focus on approvals for core on-farm investments at this time. I am acutely aware of the importance of measures to support on-farm safety, so I have decided to approve all eligible applications submitted under this measure

Defending his decision, Minister Heydon pointed out that TAMS had to operate within “a very clearly defined financial profile over the course of the CAP Strategic Plan”.

He claimed that 40% of TAMS funding in recent tranches went on the Solar Capital Investment Scheme and the Low Emission Slurry Spreading Scheme (LESS).

“On that basis, I have decided to focus on approvals for core on-farm investments at this time. I am acutely aware of the importance of measures to support on-farm safety, so I have decided to approve all eligible applications submitted under this measure,” the minister said.

“Similarly, I want to acknowledge the importance of continued investment in nutrient storage, attracting 60% grant aid support, which I introduced earlier this year. A total of 80% of eligible applications containing these investments will be approved in this tranche,” he added.

However, Kells maintained that Minister Heydon’s comments on limited TAMS funding lacked “credibility”.

Kells asked why the Government was able to offer “massive supports” for “developers and foreign investors to take thousands of acres of top-class farmland out of production for solar farms” but couldn't support the installation of solar panels on the roofs of farm buildings.

“At a minimum, every farmer who has applied in good faith for grant supports under tranche 9 and 10 should be approved for their TAMS grant as they have already incurred time and cost in making an application,” Kells said.