Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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393. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the supports that are available to farmers to install solar panels; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [62855/22]

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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To help encourage on-farm renewable technology uptake and usage, grant aid is provided through the Targeted Agricultural Modernisation Schemes (TAMS) to assist farmers in maximising their contribution to the production of renewable energy through the installation of Solar PV technology along with battery storage on Irish farms.

The solar PV systems currently grant-aided under TAMS include Solar PV Panels and Solar PV Rechargeable Batteries and Solar Panels (Solar Thermal) for water heating under the Pig and Poultry Capital Investment Scheme. An ‘On Farm Solar PV Survey’ must be completed and submitted with the application to quantify the holdings electricity power requirement and the planned electricity supply from the proposed development, this survey can also include the dwelling house which must be occupied by the herd owner or family member and situated on the holding..

The maximum size of panel eligible for grant aid currently is 62kW for the Pig and Poultry Scheme (PPIS) and 11kW for all other eligible TAMS II schemes.

Changes have recently been announced to the planning laws which will exempt rooftop solar installations from requiring planning permission, subject to certain exemptions.

Further changes to the scheme are proposed for TAMS 3. These include increasing the kilowatts for solar applications in TAMS 3 to 30 kilowatts from 11 kilowatts and retaining the current limit of 62 kilowatts for the Pigs and Poultry Investment Scheme. An increase of the grant rate to 60% and a standalone investment ceiling of €90,000 for solar panels on farms is also part of the TAMS 3 proposal from 2023 onwards.

It should also be remembered that there are other state supports for the installation of solar panels, including from the SEAI and all farmers should be examining all options for support.This can be installed in tandem with the TAMS investment for those farmers who wish to do this at scale and is a further option for those keen to explore renewable energy generation.