Niamh Smyth (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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196. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine his plans to extend the TAMS scheme to include the funding of underpasses in cases in which persons have land banks on both sides of local, national and regional roads in view of the excessive costs of same, the safety of both motorists and farmers and the return of finances under the TAMS scheme to the Exchequer; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48304/17]

Marcella Corcoran Kennedy (Offaly, Fine Gael)
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197. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if funding for underpasses will be allowed under TAMS or other agricultural support schemes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48364/17]

Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 196 and 197 together.

The TAMS II Scheme provides attractive grant rates for a wide range of investment items.  Overall I am delighted that the scheme has proved to be so popular with Irish farmers with over 15,000 applications submitted to date. Of these over 11,500 or over 75% have been approved to commence work. Approvals issue on an ongoing basis with approvals under the most recent tranche due to commence shortly.

The figures are much lower when it comes to payment claims. To date, only 2,670 payment claims have been submitted. The Department has actively encouraged all approved applicants to submit payment claims including by contacting approved applicants individually by text message. All 11,500 approvals issued represent potential outstanding liabilities for the Department. Until these approvals mature to payment stage or the timeframe of the approval expires a budgetary provision must be available to make payments.

For this reason I am not proposing to open the scheme to new investments.