Martin Heydon (Kildare South, Fine Gael)

I assure the Deputy it has been looked at. It is a challenge and a source of great frustration for farmers that have not benefited. The farmers who have mainly benefited from solar panels on the roofs of sheds, and the TAMS support for it, have been those with high energy bills, especially dairy farmers when offsetting those dairy bills. Under state aid rules, using the TAMS mechanism whereby farmers would be able to sell back into the grid, has not been a possibility for us. It comes down to the accounting at EU level. That is a source of frustration. It is something we have looked at. I would love to be able to get it changed at EU level but there is that restriction on it. It is still very important that we have the solar element. I remind the Deputy that the solar element is at the higher rate of 60% under TAMS in recognition of that cost. It is also a separate headline. It is there because we recognise that farmers are drying grain for tillage or whatever have very high energy bills. This is suited to them and the other schemes might be suited to the broader solar panels issue. For that alternative income, it is benefiting farmers who have those high energy costs.

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