Peter Roche (Galway East, Fine Gael)
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177. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine his views on the uptake of the lowemissions slurry spreading scheme, which provides capital grants to farmers for low-emission spreading; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25509/25]

Martin Heydon (Kildare South, Fine Gael)
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The Low Emission Slurry Spreading (LESS) scheme is a measure available under the Targeted Agriculture Modernisation Scheme (TAMS 3).

The practice of low emission slurry spreading is an important, environmentally sustainable, activity that will facilitate Ireland meeting its environmental commitments through reductions in ammonia and other reactive nitrogen emissions from soil. It also leads to greater nutrient recovery from slurries and indirectly improved nutrient use efficiency, as well as a reduced dependency on chemical fertilisers.

The LESS scheme includes measures that have a positive impact on water quality, such as investment items that are specifically designed to minimise the surface area to which slurry is applied, ensuring that it is targeted directly onto the soil, and thus avoiding run-off into watercourses.

TAMS is a demand-led scheme. The level of interest in the LESS measure in TAMS II was very strong, with payments in excess of €74 million issuing to over 7,100 applicants, and LESS continues to have its own standalone investment ceiling, with an enhanced grant aid of 60%, in TAMS 3, compared to the lower rate of 40% in TAMS II.

The scheme has continued to prove popular, with 3,104 applications received so far under TAMS 3, of which 2,488 applicants have received approval. To date, over €15 million in grant aid has been paid under TAMS 3, with payments continuing to issue on a daily basis.