Matt Carthy (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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559. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the supports he will provide to registered agricultural and forestry contractors in view of the important role they play in Irish farming and the increased costs they have encountered in recent times. [28055/21]

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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I fully recognise that contractors play a very important role in the Irish agriculture and forestry sector.

The Department does not provide direct supports for contractors but, as small businesses, they are of course eligible for the same supports as every other small business.

In relation to capital investments for on-farm developments, I would like to clarify that the EU regulations that provide for the Targeted Agricultural Modernisation Scheme (TAMS) under the Rural Development Programme (RDP) 2014 – 2020, specify that TAMS II beneficiaries must be farmers or groups of farmers. Therefore, the Department is precluded from funding the purchase of equipment such as Low Emission Slurry Spreading (LESS) equipment by contractors under TAMS.