The targeted agricultural modernisation scheme, TAMS 3, provides grants to farmers to build, improve, or both, a specified range of farm buildings and equipment on their holdings. The solar capital investment scheme, SCIS, is one of 11 schemes within TAMS 3. The number of applications and the level of funding provided to date under a number of TAMS 3 schemes, including the solar capital investment scheme, have far exceeded expectations. To date, a substantial proportion of the total TAMS budget, more than 20%, has …

People will think I put the Deputy up to that question because he is singing my tune. The Department of agriculture and farmers have proved there is a demand to try to make their farms less dependent on fossil fuel energy. We have proved that if I have more money, I can spend it on that. This is in the context of an increased capital budget. The reason more people are disappointed now is that more people have applied. The average number of applications under TAMS 2 was approximately 3,000 per tranche. In the most r…

The challenge is that if everything is a priority then nothing is a priority. I have 11 headings under TAMS and I have to try to manage that. It is the targeted agricultural measures scheme. When demand far outstrips supply something has to give. On that basis it felt fair to me that a residential house be taken out as opposed to farming activity. The intensive energy user on a farm benefited most from being able to apply for TAMS. It is a targeted agricultural measure. There are other ways for residential houses t…

I propose to take Questions Nos. 93 and 143 together. My Department implements a number of measures annually to raise awareness of fire risks among forest owners, managers, farmers and other land managers. My Department monitors fire risk throughout the fire season in conjunction with Met Éireann and communicates high-risk fire weather phases in advance to the forest sector and other relevant stakeholders, including local authorities via fire danger notices. This enables preparedness and readiness of key equipment …

I do not disagree. The Deputy articulated very clearly how her constituents in the Cooleys, and people in many mountainous areas countrywide, are deeply affected by wildfires that happen for a variety of reasons. Obviously some of what she described is criminal activity with very serious consequences for our wildlife, habitats and countryside and needs to be dealt with. It is important to recognise landowners may carry out controlled fires on uncultivated land from 1 September each year to the last day of February.…

I again thank the Deputy for raising what is a really important issue. Sometimes we do not talk about these facts until after an incident when it is too late and the damage has affected our landscape, wildlife and farmers. It comes back a little to the relationship between landowners in the area and members of the public who maybe live in a more urban setting and love to share that amenity. That is where the Be Summer Ready campaign is really important. Obviously farmers are well aware, as custodians of the land, o…

I propose to take Questions Nos. 98, 125 and 126 together. Ireland is a relatively small market in respect of fertiliser sales and usage compared with many of our EU neighbours. No fertilisers are manufactured in Ireland, as the Deputy knows, and this results in indigenous fertiliser companies being price-takers. Those prices are dependent on global supply and demand. An estimated 35% of global urea trade passes through the Strait of Hormuz, plus 45% of sulphur exports and a significant volume of the ammonia used i…

The geopolitical uncertainty in the Middle East is the key driver of this problem. It has put pressure on fertiliser prices and affected the likely availability of fertiliser over the course of the year. As I said, the EU Commission is bringing forward a fertiliser action plan next week. It is anticipated that this plan will focus not only on short-term crisis support but also on structural measures to reduce EU dependency on imported synthetic fossil fuel-based fertilisers. Turning to Deputy Aindrias Moynihan’s po…

The fertiliser database gives us good data in relation to where we are at. Fertiliser continues to be imported into the country and the database indicates that is sufficient fertiliser in the country at present. However, products such as urea may come into short supply. We continue to monitor the price as well. To the broader point made by Deputy Moynihan about wind generation, one would not look at that in the context of Ireland alone. We will see what is in the European Commission's proposals in the action plan o…

Hear, hear.

Let the Minister speak.

Hear, hear.

Hear, hear.

I thank Deputy Whitmore for raising this important matter. I thank her for facilitating it being moved to today so that I could take it myself, which I wanted to do. I also thank the Minister of State, Deputy Grealish, for having taken the Bill in my absence the last time it was discussed. Animal welfare in general comes under the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine but, as the Deputy will be aware, it was a key commitment in the programme for Government to have a joined-up approach to dog control issues…

In trying to prepare for this debate, I was not sure which element of horse welfare and dog welfare the Deputy would raise. I will amend what I will say on the basis of the targeted nature of her question. We have done a lot in the area of equine control and supporting equine charities and animal welfare charities in general in terms of the work I do in my Department as well as on supporting the different elements. We have a number of urban horse projects and so on and they are really positive. From 2015 to date, w…

I thank Senator Kennelly for raising the matter and the opportunity to provide an update on progress with the implementation of TAMS 3. Overall, TAMS 3 has proven extremely popular, with an unprecedented level of applications received, at three times the average number received per tranche compared with TAMS 2. The submission of applications commenced in 2023 under the Common Agricultural Policy, CAP, strategic plan from 2023 to 2027. The need to put new administrative and IT structures in place while simultaneousl…

I am okay for now.

That is for the CAP.

I get that point. TAMS covers the period of the CAP, so our CAP funding and CAP schemes all run until the end of 2027. This opened in 2023. We are negotiating a new CAP. I do not know whether that will be ready or in place by 2027. Decisions on whether there will be a TAMS beyond that will depend on how much funding I have and how I am able to target it. I threw a lot of figures at the Senator in my initial response. However, it is important to reflect here that, in simple terms, there is a massive increase in the …

You have your video clip now, Richard. You are happy.