Sheep farmers can avail of grant aid towards the erection of sheep fencing on their farms through the Targeted, Agricultural, Modernisation Scheme (TAMS) II. The grant aid is quite attractive as qualifying young trained farmers can receive up to 60% grant aid towards the cost of erecting fencing while general applicants can receive 40% grant aid. The main two points to consider if you are planning on going down the sheep fencing route through TAMS are the procedures to follow in making your application and the Department specifications.
Procedure
Before a post can be driven into the ground, farmers looking for grant aid towards their sheep fencing must make an application to the Department of Agriculture for pre-clearance. All TAMS II applications have to be made online through Agfood.ie. The Department will need to know what length of fencing is being applied for and if there are any gateways in the application.
A farm field layout plan to a scale not greater than 1:5000 or Basic Farm Payment application map, together with LPIS numbers identifying the parcels where fencing is proposed and showing the location of all proposed fencing and gateways must be included with the online application.
For most sheep fencing investments, planning permission is not required unless the plan is to erect a fence in a protected area
Where more than one type of fencing is applied for, or if it is a mountainous site, the type of fencing and fencing length (for each type of fencing) must also be indicated on the plan/map. For most sheep fencing investments, planning permission is not required unless the plan is to erect a fence in a protected area. In a Special Area of Conservation, a National Heritage Area, a Special Protection Area, unenclosed upland areas, or a Natura 2000 habitat, planning permission or a declaration of exemption from the relevant local authority is required for any proposed sheep fencing (whether new or replacement) before an application can be made.
At the application stage, farmers will also have to enter the proposed total cost of the investment excluding VAT. Most farmers go by the Department’s reference cost for this estimation. For lowland areas, sheep mesh wire with one strand of wire is costed at €5.34/linear metre on the Department’s reference cost list. For mountain sheep mesh wire with one strand of wire, the Department has a reference costing of €8.01/linear metre. A gateway is costed at €299.00 per gateway. Estimating the total cost is a good idea for pre-budgeting because farmers have to pay for the project in full before they receive grant aid. Young trained farmers should make sure to apply through the young farmer’s capital investment scheme to avail of the higher grant rate.
When all the work is complete, applicants then make a payment claim online
When the application is submitted, farmers must wait for approval from the Department before work can begin on the project. Farmers have 12 months from the time they receive approval to complete the fencing work.
When all the work is complete, applicants then make a payment claim online. The receipts for work carried out, tax clearance, education certificates (if applying under the YFCIS), proof that all the investment items have a CE mark, evidence of ownership of land or leasehold, farm safety statement and evidence of completion of a safety course in the last five years unless a farmer has completed the Green Cert in the past five years, etc will have to be provided at this stage.
To qualify for sheep fencing, an applicant must own and possess a yearly average of 40 adult sheep (weaned lamb or older) at time of application or at the latest by the date the claim is submitted for payment. Applicants must maintain a sheep enterprise for at least five years from the date of payment of grant aid. Once all this paperwork is correct, the Department will issue grant aid payment for the approved fencing project.
Department specifications
To erect sheep wire under TAMS, there are a number of specifications to be followed to ensure you complete the work to the Department’s standards and receive grant aid. These specifications are available on the Department’s website under S148.
The following types of sheep fencing are covered in TAMS II:
One strand barbed wire with sheep wire.Two strands barbed wire with sheep wire.One strand electric wire, plus one stand barbed wire with sheep wire.One strand electric wire and one plain wire sheep wire.Bank/stone wall reduced-height fence.One strand electric wire with sheep wire.Timber posts as well as concrete and plastic posts are eligible for grant aid once the supplier is registered on the Department’s list of accepted fencing post suppliers (S 148A).
All materials purchased have to meet the Department’s specifications to be eligible for grant aid.
Sheep farmers can avail of grant aid towards the erection of sheep fencing on their farms through the Targeted, Agricultural, Modernisation Scheme (TAMS) II. The grant aid is quite attractive as qualifying young trained farmers can receive up to 60% grant aid towards the cost of erecting fencing while general applicants can receive 40% grant aid. The main two points to consider if you are planning on going down the sheep fencing route through TAMS are the procedures to follow in making your application and the Department specifications.
Procedure
Before a post can be driven into the ground, farmers looking for grant aid towards their sheep fencing must make an application to the Department of Agriculture for pre-clearance. All TAMS II applications have to be made online through Agfood.ie. The Department will need to know what length of fencing is being applied for and if there are any gateways in the application.
A farm field layout plan to a scale not greater than 1:5000 or Basic Farm Payment application map, together with LPIS numbers identifying the parcels where fencing is proposed and showing the location of all proposed fencing and gateways must be included with the online application.
For most sheep fencing investments, planning permission is not required unless the plan is to erect a fence in a protected area
Where more than one type of fencing is applied for, or if it is a mountainous site, the type of fencing and fencing length (for each type of fencing) must also be indicated on the plan/map. For most sheep fencing investments, planning permission is not required unless the plan is to erect a fence in a protected area. In a Special Area of Conservation, a National Heritage Area, a Special Protection Area, unenclosed upland areas, or a Natura 2000 habitat, planning permission or a declaration of exemption from the relevant local authority is required for any proposed sheep fencing (whether new or replacement) before an application can be made.
At the application stage, farmers will also have to enter the proposed total cost of the investment excluding VAT. Most farmers go by the Department’s reference cost for this estimation. For lowland areas, sheep mesh wire with one strand of wire is costed at €5.34/linear metre on the Department’s reference cost list. For mountain sheep mesh wire with one strand of wire, the Department has a reference costing of €8.01/linear metre. A gateway is costed at €299.00 per gateway. Estimating the total cost is a good idea for pre-budgeting because farmers have to pay for the project in full before they receive grant aid. Young trained farmers should make sure to apply through the young farmer’s capital investment scheme to avail of the higher grant rate.
When all the work is complete, applicants then make a payment claim online
When the application is submitted, farmers must wait for approval from the Department before work can begin on the project. Farmers have 12 months from the time they receive approval to complete the fencing work.
When all the work is complete, applicants then make a payment claim online. The receipts for work carried out, tax clearance, education certificates (if applying under the YFCIS), proof that all the investment items have a CE mark, evidence of ownership of land or leasehold, farm safety statement and evidence of completion of a safety course in the last five years unless a farmer has completed the Green Cert in the past five years, etc will have to be provided at this stage.
To qualify for sheep fencing, an applicant must own and possess a yearly average of 40 adult sheep (weaned lamb or older) at time of application or at the latest by the date the claim is submitted for payment. Applicants must maintain a sheep enterprise for at least five years from the date of payment of grant aid. Once all this paperwork is correct, the Department will issue grant aid payment for the approved fencing project.
Department specifications
To erect sheep wire under TAMS, there are a number of specifications to be followed to ensure you complete the work to the Department’s standards and receive grant aid. These specifications are available on the Department’s website under S148.
The following types of sheep fencing are covered in TAMS II:
One strand barbed wire with sheep wire.Two strands barbed wire with sheep wire.One strand electric wire, plus one stand barbed wire with sheep wire.One strand electric wire and one plain wire sheep wire.Bank/stone wall reduced-height fence.One strand electric wire with sheep wire.Timber posts as well as concrete and plastic posts are eligible for grant aid once the supplier is registered on the Department’s list of accepted fencing post suppliers (S 148A).
All materials purchased have to meet the Department’s specifications to be eligible for grant aid.
This is a subscriber-only article
SHARING OPTIONS: