Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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1022. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if funding will be provided to assist farmers in the construction of agricultural underpass crossings on non-national roads in which such facilities are deemed essential in the interests of public safety and particularly road safety; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13073/21]

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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There are a wide variety of items available under the suite of seven measures under TAMS II. However, funding for cattle underpasses are not included. The financial allocation in respect of TAMS for the full Rural Development Programme period is €395m. To date, total expenditure under the seven measures of the TAMS, including transitional expenditure, has reached in excess of €272m with commitments of an additional €142m made to scheme participants who have yet to draw down those commitments.

Some 37,226 applications have been approved under the scheme. All outstanding approvals issued represent potential outstanding liabilities for my Department and we must have a budget in place to pay these claims. As a result, it is not possible to consider adding additional items such as cattle underpasses to the comprehensive list of investment items already available under TAMS II.