Patricia Ryan (Kildare South, Sinn Fein)
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1461. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if the reasons one third of approved TAMS applications do not progress to a claim will be addressed; the effect of same on approving new applicants; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22413/20]

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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The indicative allocation for the TAMS II scheme over the course of the Rural Development Programme is €395 million. To date, €237 million has been paid across all the available schemes and a further €73m in approvals have yet to be claimed by applicants. Expenditure is being monitored closely on a weekly basis.

Applicants with an existing approval have either a 6 month, 12 month or, in some cases, a 36 month window to complete their investment. It is entirely a matter for the applicant whether they wish to proceed.

Given the tight budgetary situation, I would certainly prefer that applicants with existing approvals who do not intend to proceed with the investment to contact my Department so that we can use that financial commitment for other applicants. My Department has raised this with farm organisations and with the advisory bodies who have a key role to play in communicating this message to farmers.

Tranche 18 of TAMS II closed on 21 August 2020. Under this tranche, 3,448 new applications were received. These applications, together with those rolled over from tranche 17, bring the total number to be considered to 4,914.