There is a possibility that the €370m that has been allocated for the Targeted Agricultural Modernisation Scheme (TAMS) will be used up just halfway through the scheme’s lifetime.

With around 42,000 applications currently approved or set to be approved in the first eight tranches, as it stands approximately 8,000 applicatants have received payment, with €70.5m doled out for these. This equates to an average payment rate of €8,812.50 per application.

If all applications under tranches one to eight are paid out the same amount, it could cost the Department €370.125m, meaning the budget has been spent while we are only halfway through the scheme’s tenure.

Mobile items

Many of these 8,000 paid applicants have likely invested in mobile items, with larger projects such as slurry stores, sheds and underpasses yet to be allocated a payment, meaning the average figure is likely to increase in value.

It is also worth noting that a significant percentage of approved applications will never be drawn down by farmers for various reasons, allowing this funding to return to the budget.

The Minister for Agriculture Martin Heydon has acknowledged this, and has alluded to the fact that a marking scheme may very well have to be brought in.

“In order to ensure that the available budget is distributed fairly over the remainder of the CAP strategic plan, it may be necessary to limit the number of approved applications per tranche going forward by applying ranking and selection criteria, including for the upcoming tranche nine, which opened on 7 June and will close on 6 September,” he said.

TAMS III, which was launched in February 2023, originally had a marking scheme similar to previous iterations of TAMS.

However, all tranches so far have seen all eligible applications approved, which has resulted in the above normal level of approved applications in the scheme.

Tranches in TAMS II typically had 2,000 places and ran quarterly, with roughly 8,000 applications approved annually.