Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank Deputy Smith for his question. On the dribble bar, that is something I will also be considering in the mix on the emissions aspect, but also there is the usability of it. Taking that into account is something I will be considering in the round.

On the timelines, as the Deputy will know, we have a budget of €370 million over the period from this year to 2027. Tranche 1 of TAMS 3 closed on 30 June 2023, with 8,241 applications received. Overall, the scheme has proved very popular, with an unprecedented level of applications received which was almost four times the average number received per tranche under TAMS 2, or under any tranche in the previous TAMS scheme.

The solar capital investment scheme opened for applications in February 2023, with the remaining ten measures opening on a phased basis. The final measure was the women farmers capital investment scheme which opened for applications in June 2023. That is a new category with 60% grant aid to encourage and address the imbalance we see at farm gate level in the number of female farmers and female herd and farm owners.

Tranche 2 of TAMS 3 will close this Friday at 5 p.m., based on a decision I made yesterday. Tranche 3 of the scheme will open on Monday and run until Friday, 12 April 2024. This will ensure applications received since the current tranche opened in July can be proceeded with as efficiently as possible. I made the decision to close tomorrow so we can get on with processing applications and ensure those in the tranche who need work to be carried out in a timely manner next year can be prioritised where necessary to get on with their work.

Applications received across all measures in tranche 1 are currently being processed. Once the initial processing is completed, all applications will be subject to ranking and the applicants will be informed. Yesterday, I published, in the comprehensive statement I made, the schedule according to which each category will get approval.

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