The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine has launched its Farm Safety Scheme under the new Targeted Agricultural Modernisation Scheme (TAMS 3), which is now open for applications.
This is the first time that farm safety investments have their own standalone scheme under TAMS and have been enhanced with a higher grant rate of 60% to invest in newer and safer equipment and facilities for their farms.
The objective of the scheme is to provide an incentive to farmers to avail of investments to improve their own safety and that of their farm.
Grant aid will only be paid on approved, completed and eligible expenditure, up to the applicable maximum investment ceiling of €90,000 per holding.
Multiple applications per tranche are permissible; however, the minimum amount of investment which is eligible for approval under this scheme is €2,000 per application.
There is a wide range of items available under the Farm Safety Scheme, including:
- Fixed and mobile handling facilities for cattle, sheep, and horses;
- Replacements for agitation points or older slats;
- Safety cages for roofs;
- Upgrades to electric wiring;
- Yard lights;
- Livestock monitors and fertility tags;
- Wheel changing equipment;
- Silage bale slicer with plastic remover.
What investments are eligible?
A full list of the eligible investments is detailed at Annex B of the scheme’s terms and conditions.
All department structural specifications and notices relevant to this scheme can be accessed on the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine’s website.
Grant aid will not be paid for:
- Second-hand materials or equipment;
- Ex-demo;
- Work carried out by contractors who do not comply with the tax clearance requirements laid down in paragraph 10 of the scheme.
Only fixed investments constructed/erected/installed on eligible land are eligible for grant aid.
You can direct queries of a technical nature relating to the specifications by email to the following email address: [email protected].
Annex G of the scheme’s terms and conditions lists the contact phone numbers for technical queries.
The launch of the latest tranche of TAMS, follows the YFCIS – Young Farmers’ Capital Investment Scheme – which opened to applications last week, as reported by That’s Farming, in this news article.
Farm safety
Farm safety continues to be one of the most critical issues which need to be addressed on farms today, according to the DAFM.
In terms of workplace fatalities, it is the most dangerous occupation in Ireland, with an average of 19 fatal incidents per year on farms over the past decade.
Fatalities on farms account for over 40% of all fatal workplace incidents in Ireland, while farmers only account for 6% of the workforce.
With around 4,500 non-fatal injuries annually on farms, many are life-changing and place the farmers’ livelihood and farm at risk.
Livestock, particularly cows after calving, vehicles and machinery, falls from heights, slurry and hazardous substances all pose risks.
However, the DAFM stresses that incidents can be avoided if these risks are properly managed.
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