Holly Cairns (Cork South West, Social Democrats)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

186. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the steps that he is taking to assist farmers install renewable energy generation capacities on farms. [26971/22]

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

While overall national energy policy formation is the direct responsibility of my colleague Minister Eamon Ryan in the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications (DECC),  my officials and I work closely with DECC on energy related matters from an agricultural perspective, as well with a wide range of industry and other stakeholder groupings.

The importance of increasing renewable energy generation across all sectors of the economy has been highlighted through the inclusion of ambitious targets for this area in the recently released Climate Action Plan 2021 - Securing Our Future.

I see the role of Irish farmers in renewable energy systems as three-fold through:

- Establishing energy efficiencies on-farm,

- Through deployment of renewable energy at farm level; and 

- As a supplier of biomass/ bio-energy feedstocks.

To help encourage on-farm renewable technology uptake and usage, my department provides  grant aid through the targeted agriculture modernisation scheme (TAMS II) to assist farmers in maximising their contribution to the production of renewable energy. Support is available for the installation of Solar PV technology along with battery storage on Irish farms.

Applications under the TAMS options for the solar investments are being received on an ongoing basis. To date, some 224 applications for solar panels have been approved under TAMS and a total of 140 applications have received payment  for solar investments. The grant aid under TAMS is available at the standard rate of 40%, with a higher grant rate of 60% available to qualified young farmers.

It is proposed that support for renewable energy investments will continue under the new Capital Investment Scheme as part of the CAP Strategic Plan submitted to the EU Commission for approval last December.  As CAP negotiations are ongoing, TAMS tranches will continue to remain open in 2022 to ensure that scheme participants have certainty on their scheme participation in 2022 during the transitional phase.

On-farm renewable energy generation activities of our farmers contribute in a positive way to the decarbonisation of the energy system providing a diversification opportunity for farmers who remain committed to playing their part in achieving our national climate change emission reduction goals.