Relevant Matter
Matters involving public funds
Public Policy Area
Finance
Period
1 May, 2025 to 31 Aug, 2025
Specific Details
Farm Schemes - Targeted Agricultural Modernisation Scheme (TAMS)
Intended results
To propose:
• Increased resources should be allocated to swiftly resolve the backlog in application approvals and the issuing of payments.
• Alongside unutilised allocated TAMS funding from previous years, adequate funding is required to optimise necessary on-farm investment and avoid use of rank & selection procedures.
• Investment ceilings should be revised upwards, and costings should be updated at least annually to keep up with current inflation levels.
• Investment ceilings should be revised upwards, and costings should be updated at least annually to keep up with current inflation levels.
• Removal of current cow number restrictions in the Diary Equipment Scheme.
• Additional items, including grant aid for dribble bars, rubber mats, ATV/UTV's and quad gates, should be added.
• TAMS should be made available for all sectors, with a baseline rate of 70% grant aid for young farmers and organic farmers (50% for all others) and 60% grant rates for Hill farmers, LESS, Farm Safety, etc
• Increased TAMS grant aid of 70% from a ring-fenced national fund for slurry storage investment will be made available to all farmers regardless of their Nitrate status and/or current levels of on-farm slurry storage. Increased TAMS grant aid of 70% from a ring-fenced national fund for slurry storage investment will be made available to all farmers regardless of their Nitrate status and/or current levels of on-farm slurry storage.
• All farm safety, nutrient management, animal welfare & water quality investment items are to be prioritised.
• Regarding the Young Farmer Capital Investment Scheme and the Women Capital Investment Scheme, a clear and simplified activity demonstration process needs to be established, with no farmer disadvantaged by previous DAFM guidance—e.g., a reduction in names listed to a holdings herd number.
• There is a need for a significant upward revision of TAMS 3 for the pig sector to facilitate the substantial investment required at the farm level, and consideration should be given to funding this through a separate mechanism to TAMS 3.
• Greater proactive communication from DAFM regarding tranche closing, changing thresholds and compulsory LESS applications well in advance to enable impacted farmers to apply for grant aid for key eligible items while still in scope.
• Solar panel funding should be removed and provided independently of the TAMS program. Most emissions reductions from solar panels and anaerobic digestion will accrue to other sectors, not agriculture. A new 'Roof-top Solar Scheme'(RTSS) and a new 'Anaerobic Digestion Support Scheme' (ADSS) should be established and financed by the Departments whose sectors are getting the associated emissions benefit.
Name of person primarily responsible for lobbying on this activity
Francie Gorman IFA President, John Curran IFA Rural Development Chair, Shane Whelan IFA Senior Policy Executive
Did any Designated Public Official(DPO) or former Designated Public Official(DPO) carry out lobbying activities on your behalf in relation to this return? You must include yourself, and answer Yes, if you are a current DPO or a DPO at any time in the past. (What is a Designated Public Official?)
No
Did you manage or direct a grassroots campaign?
No
Was this lobbying done on behalf of a client?
No
Mass communications
Letter All TDs
Submission All TDs
Letter All Senators
Submission All Senators
Lobbying activity
The following activities occurred for this specific Subject Matter Area.
Designated public officials lobbied
The following DPOs were lobbied during this return period on this specific Subject Matter Area. These DPOs were involved in at least one of the Lobbying Activities listed above, but not necessarily all of them.
As returns are specific to a Subject Matter Area the above Lobbying Activities may be associated with multiple returns.
Brian Brennan
TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)
Brian Purcell
Special Adviser (Department of Agriculture and the Marine)
Christopher O'Sullivan
Minister of State (Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage)
Emer Higgins
Minister of State (Department of Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery and Reform)
Helen McEntee
Minister (Department of Education)
James Browne
Minister (Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage)
Jennifer Carroll MacNeill
Minister (Department of Health)
Malcolm Byrne
TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)
Martin Heydon
Minister (Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine)
Michael Healy-Rae
Minister of State (Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine)
Michael Moynihan
Minister of State (Department of Education)
Noel Grealish
Minister of State (Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine)
Paschal Donohoe
Minister (Department of Finance)
Peter Burke
Minister (Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment)
Sean Canney
Minister of State (Department of Transport)