Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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271. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when decisions will be made on applications from young farmers under the targeted agricultural modernisation scheme 2 who applied under the dairy measure, given the urgency for them to be able to invest in dairy equipment before the new season commences; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41691/15]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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The new TAMS measure will make €395m available to Irish farmers for investing in on-farm infrastructure, facilities and equipment. All TAMS schemes have been opened and the applications received under the first tranches of both the Young Farmer Capital Investment Scheme and the Dairy Equipment Scheme are now being processed.

Interest in TAMS to date has exceeded expectations and clearly many Irish farmers are looking once again at the benefits of investing in their enterprises and expanding production. Under the Young Farmer Capital Investment Scheme a total of 520 applications have been received with over 200 of these applying for dairy investments while over a thousand applications have been submitted for the Dairy Equipment Scheme.

All applications received are being examined and approvals will commence when all of the required checks have been undertaken. This is a complex process and as all applications for TAMS 2 must be made under a tranche-based approach, we are required to evaluate, rank and assess all applications received together.

Willie Penrose (Longford-Westmeath, Labour)
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272. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when an application for grant aid from a person (details supplied) in County Westmeath under the targeted agricultural modernisation scheme 2, dairy equipment scheme, will be approved given that it was submitted in early October 2015 and given that the person needs approval to ensure the work proceeds, as otherwise it will have to postponed for another year or alternatively the person will risk losing the 40% grant; if all such applications will be approved without further delay; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41723/15]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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The new TAMS measure will make €395m available to Irish farmers for investing in on-farm infrastructure, facilities and equipment. All TAMS schemes have been opened and the applications received under the first tranches of both the Young Farmer Capital Investment Scheme and the Dairy Equipment Scheme are now being processed.

All applications received are being examined and approvals will commence when all of the required checks have been undertaken. This is a complex process and as all applications for TAMS 2 must be made under a tranche-based approach, we are required to evaluate, rank and assess all applications received together. In the case of the named applicant he is now operating as a company but has applied for the Dairy Equipment Scheme as an individual. In this case he will be required to resubmit an application as a company. In addition, any work which is begun in advance of approval is automatically ineligible for support.