Niamh Smyth (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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951. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the reason a person (details supplied) is not entitled to a TAMS grant; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5329/20]

Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
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The person named submitted an application for approval for grant-aid under the Animal Welfare and Nutrient Storage Scheme, one of the suite of seven measures available under TAMS II. The application was approved on 2 May 2017, with all works to be completed by 2 May 2020.

Due to the current Covid-19 situation, my Department is allowing flexibility on TAMS completion deadlines. To this end, a 3-month extension has been given to all works due to completed (or approvals due to expire) between 1 March and 1 July. The person named now has until 2 August 2020 to complete the approved works.

The Future Growth Loan Scheme was launched last year to make up to €300 million of long-term strategic investment loans available to eligible Irish businesses, including farmers and the agrifood & seafood sectors. The loans are competitively priced, for terms of 8-10 years and support strategic long-term investment in a post-Brexit environment. There is a minimum loan amount of €100,000 for SMEs with a specially negotiated minimum of €50,000 for primary agriculture. There was very strong demand from SMEs and farmers for this longer term, lower cost finance, which resulted in a rapid take-up of the Scheme and limited remaining capacity.

My Department is engaged with the Department of Business, Enterprise and Innovation and the Department of Finance on further liquidity and access to finance measures, especially in the context of COVID-19 and, as announced recently, will part-fund a €200million second tranche of the Future Growth Loan Scheme for capital investment. 40% (€80million) of this will be ring-fenced for farmers, fishers and food SMEs. It should be noted also that farmers are also eligible to apply to Microfinance Ireland for smaller loan amounts.