55% of approvals issued to dairy farmers under TAMS solar scheme
Of the 3,149 approvals issued to date under the Solar Capital Investment Scheme (SCIS), 55% of approvals have issued to dairy farmers.
The SCIS is a measure under the Targeted Agriculture Modernisation Schemes (TAMS 3), which provides support to farmers wishing to invest in renewable energy.
To encourage on-farm renewable technology uptake and usage, grant aid is provided to assist farmers in maximising their contribution to the production of renewable energy through the installation of solar PV technology, together with battery storage.
TAMS is a demand-led scheme, with a defined budgetary allocation, Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Martin Heydon said.
"TAMS 3 is a hugely popular scheme, with 5,529 applications received under the SCIS," the minister said.
As of January 21, the minister said a total of 3,149 approvals have issued under SCIS, with €22.9 million in payments issuing to 1,232 applicants.
SCIS approvals by enterprise are outlined below:
| Enterprise type | Total approvals |
| Field crops (tillage) | 97 |
| Horticulture | 10 |
| Milk | 1,725 |
| Mixed (crops and livestock) | 124 |
| Other grazing livestock (excl. milk) | 967 |
| Other permanent crops (fruits) | 1 |
| Pigs or poultry | 225 |
| Total | 3,149 |
Of the 3,149 approvals issued to date under SCIS, 55% of approvals have issued to dairy farmers.
"This achieves the objective of providing support to a sector with significant energy usage by encouraging investment in renewable energy, thereby reducing their dependence on fossil fuels," Minister Heydon said.
"On that basis, I believe that the current ranking and selection scoring system is the best mechanism for ensuring that funding is targeted at the most appropriate enterprises.
"I will also ensure that the system continues to be reviewed on a regular basis."
TAMS processing times
The TAMS 3 scheme operates in tranches, with generally four tranches per year.
The minister said there is no difference in the processing time in any of the TAMS 3 sub-schemes as the processing of all applications commences upon closure of the specific tranche.
"The timeline for approval of applications under TAMS 3, including those received under the SCIS, has been agreed with the relevant farm bodies and laid down in the Farmers' Charter," he explained.
"The issue of approvals following the selection of valid applications will take place within three months of ranking and selection of files under each tranche, and no longer than six months following the closure of a tranche."
Ranking and selection
Ranking and selection is the process whereby the overall cost of applications received in a particular tranche is assessed taking into account the available budget, the minister explained.
"It is a regulatory requirement that ranking and selection must take place on all eligible applications.
"Under tranches 1 to 8, 100% of eligible applications proceeded through the ranking and selection process."
On average, all eligible TAMS 3 investments, including solar PV applications, where there are no issues with the application or accompanying documents, are processed within three months following the ranking and selection process, according to the minister.
"I believe the processing of applications, in its current structure, is the best method of ensuring that applicants receive timely approval to proceed with their investments," he added.
