IFA Urges Speedier TAMS Payments

IFA Rural Development Chairman Joe Brady has urged Minister for Agriculture Michael Creed to speed up TAMS payments to farmers who have completed their work and sent in all required documentation to the Department of Agriculture.

In excess of 650 farmers are urgently awaiting grant aid for investments they have made on their farms. In many instances, these farmers are being placed under financial difficulty as a result of the delays and it is now vitally important that the Department pays out immediately.

Joe Brady said the seventh tranche of TAMS closed last Friday. More than 1,000 farmers applied to that tranche, bringing the total number of TAMS applications to 13,500. So far, 8,849 farmers have got approval to proceed and it is important that all other approvals to proceed are issued without delay.

The IFA Rural Development Chairman pointed out that €50m is allocated to TAMS this year and so far only €10.5m of this has been paid out. If this trend continues for the rest of the year, the Minister will fail to pay out the full allocation. Joe Brady said he would be concerned this will weaken the Minister’s argument in making a strong case for a higher allocation next year to pay out all of those farmers who will be approved and complete their work over the next 12 months.