Minister for Agriculture Michael Creed has been asked to waive the requirement for farmers to complete a health and safety course as part of the TAMS scheme.

IFA rural development chair Michael Biggins said while most farmers had completed the course, the IFA was aware of some who had not.

“As a result, we are calling on the Minister to provide a temporary concession in order for them to proceed with a payment claim, while giving an undertaking to complete the course when restrictions end,” he said.

Payments

Approximately €1.5m in TAMS payments are being issued weekly. Biggins said any disruption to this would add cashflow difficulties on farms as finaical commitments had already been made.

It is vital that grants continue to be paid out, as farmers have to pay for work up front and show these receipts before grant aid is paid by the Department, Biggins said.

Some 2,600 farmers have received approval to proceed with work under the latest tranche of the scheme. However, there are approximately 660 farmers who were rejected and will now be rolled forward into tranche 17 which closes on 27 April.

Read more

Tillage TAMS highlights frustrations

Extend TAMs to 2022 – IFA