Of the 8,203 applications received under tranche 1 of TAMS III, 4,854 applications have been approved to date – this represents 59% of the total applications received.

The results released by the Department of Agriculture four weeks ago showed an approval number of 2,784 applications, meaning circa 500 applications are being processed weekly.

All tranche one applications are expected to be processed in the next six to seven weeks, with tranche two approvals then the next task facing the Department.

Due to the lower level of checks required, the Department has been focusing efforts on approving mobile items first and clearing some of the applications relatively quickly.

As we can see from Table 1, LESS approvals lead the way with 533 successful applications approved and just four applications currently being processed.

The Tillage Capital Investment Scheme, which again would be based off moveable machinery and technology not requiring planning permission, has seen 382 applications approved, with 17 applications in progress.

Animal welfare

Approval rates for the broadest scheme, the Animal Welfare and Nutrient Storage Scheme (AWNSS), which also saw the highest volume of applications is now seeing approval rates account for 43.5% of the total.

The AWNSS encompasses the vast bulk of animal housing and slurry storage investments, many of which require comprehensive checks due to the requirement for planning permission and farm yard sketches.

The AWNSS would also have included items relevant under the priority approval announced by Minister McConalogue last September, although applications under this priority approval were low at circa 250.

The Women Farmers Capital Investment Scheme has seen approval rates far below that of other schemes, with only 27% of applications approved to date; 168 applications are awaiting approval, with 13 applications rejected by the Department and seven withdrawn.

The overall rejections and withdrawal rates have remained relatively steady. Of the 8,203 applications submitted, 458 have been rejected with a further 203 applications withdrawn by the applicant, representing 5.5% and 2.4% of applications, respectively.