Written answers
Tuesday, 1 April 2025
Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine
Grant Payments
John Paul O'Shea (Cork North-West, Fine Gael)
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592. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the eligibility for the women in agriculture grant via TAMS; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15208/25]
Martin Heydon (Kildare South, Fine Gael)
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The Women Farmers Capital Investment Scheme is one of ten measures in the Targeted Agriculture Modernisation Scheme (TAMS 3), which provides grants to farmers to build and/or improve a specified range of farm buildings and equipment on their holdings.
A standard grant rate of 40% is provided for all eligible investments in TAMS 3, with an enhanced 60% rate available to women farmers who meet the eligibility criteria under the Scheme.
The eligibility criteria for women farmers include:
- aged more than 18 and under 67 years of age at date of application;
- have a minimum of 5 hectares of eligible land which has been declared under the Basic Payment Scheme/Basic Income Support for Sustainability Scheme (BISS), or equivalent, in the year of application, or preceding year.
In situations where a woman farmer is farming with others, a declaration is required that the woman farmer exercises effective and long-term control over the partnership or legal person in terms of decisions related to management, benefits and financial risks, either solely, or jointly with other members of the partnership.
In the case of a company, any or all women farmers must be a director in the company and have at least a 20% shareholding. When farming with others, a declaration that they have effective and long-term control of the holding is required. In circumstances where a woman farmer is farming as part of a joint venture, both applicants must meet the eligibility criteria.
The full details of the eligibility criteria for the Women Farmer Capital Investment Scheme are available on my Department's website.
Niamh Smyth (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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593. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine for update on a grant application (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15223/25]
Martin Heydon (Kildare South, Fine Gael)
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The person named submitted an application under the 2024 Complementary Income Support for Young Farmers scheme. This application was selected as part of the required 10% of applications where an on-the-spot-check is carried out to verify that the young farmer applicant can demonstrate full financial and managerial control of the agricultural holding, as required under the Terms and Conditions of the scheme.
The on-the-spot-check process in this case is currently being finalised and the person named will be notified of the outcome in the coming days.
Micheál Carrigy (Longford-Westmeath, Fine Gael)
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594. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the status of ACRES payments (details supplied), and when the balance of payment due for 2023 is expected. [15226/25]
Martin Heydon (Kildare South, Fine Gael)
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The person named was accepted into ACRES General Tranche 1, with a contract commencement date of January 1st 2023. I can confirm that all ACRES payments in respect of 2023 have been finalised for this participant.
The advance payment claim associated with this herd in respect of 2024 has not yet cleared all the necessary pre-payment validation checks. My Department is actively working to progress these checks as a matter of urgency. As is the case with all EU co-funded schemes, all ACRES applications must pass regulatory controls and validations before payment can issue. Further pay runs, to participants in both tranches, are continuing every 10 days as cases pass all required validation checks.
I can assure you that everything is being done to pay, as soon as possible, all ACRES participants who clear pre-payment checks.
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