ICMSA Calls For Immediate Publication Of Future TAMS Tranche Deadline Dates.

Tranche 17 of TAMS closes on Friday, 5 June 2020 and yet unlike previous tranches, no future application periods have been outlined by the Department of Agriculture, Food & Marine.   “Funding under TAMS is committed to the end of 2020 so ICMSA expects 2-3 more Tranches but farmers have been left in the dark as to the timing of tranche deadlines” according to Mr. Denis Drennan, Chairperson of ICMSA’s Farm and Rural Affairs Committee.  

The Department must immediately, Mr. Drennan said, publish the deadlines for the next Tranche periods so as to encourage badly needed investment in rural areas which is struggling following the Covid-19 shutdown.  “It is ridiculous to expect farmers to make investment plans without knowing when they can apply for TAMS funding and publishing dates should be a straightforward issue” he said.

In terms of the funding for TAMS, typically, tranche deadlines were every three months but the current tranche was extended to five months due to the Covid-19 pandemic.   In light of the extended application period, it is vital that additional funding is allocated proportionately to this tranche to cater for the additional applicants over the additional two-month period.   If the Government is serious about stimulating economic activity in rural areas, then sufficient funding should be allocated to the current tranche to approve all outstanding applicants, said Mr. Drennan.

Finally, at the meeting of the Farmers Charter, Mr. Drennan said, that the Department asked that where there are any outstanding approved applications where the applicant no longer plans on carrying out the work, that the farmer would inform the Department so that this funding could be utilised to support other farmers.   We need to ensure that all money allocated under TAMS is spent on farms” said Mr. Drennan, “so we ask farmers to withdraw their applications if they are no longer planning to do the work”.

Concluding, Mr. Drennan said, that the Department must immediately announce the dates of the final tranches of TAMS and also ensure that additional funding is allocated to the current tranche to approve all outstanding applicants.

Aine O’Connell

PhD – Dairy Science

Policy Officer ICMSA

5 June 2020