€20m for environment measures in TAMS grants to be announced, pending EU approval

Minister itemises how €79m  announced in Budget 2021 will be spent

Agriculture Minister Charlie McConalogue says €10m funding is on the way for agri-environment training for farmers.

Agriculture Minister Charlie McConalogue has itemised biodiversity, climate, environment and health and safety spending plans for the additional €79m (including €23m raised in carbon taxes) announced in Budget 2021.

In the Dáil last week, he said his intention was to allocate €10m for agri-environment training for farmers, €10m for soil sampling, €5m for a farm environmental study, €20m for environment measures in the TAMS grant scheme, €3m for an EIP (European Innovation Partnership) peatland rewetting scheme, €1m for continuous professional development for advisors, €1m for EIP-AGRI health and safety initiatives, and €3m for peatland rejuvenation.

Details of these initiatives will be announced later.

Already being implemented are the REAP agri-environment measure (€10m), the re-opening of the organics scheme (€5m), the straw incorporation measure (€10m), and the new call for EIPs on biodiversity actions for farmers and communities (€1.25m).

The minister’s department has submitted these measures as an amendment to the Rural Development Programme (RDP) to the European Commission for its approval, after which the final allocation of the €79m funding will be decided.

The minister gave the information on the schemes in the Dáil in response to questions from Cork South-West Social Democrats TD Holly Cairns and Roscommon-Galway Sinn Féin TD Claire Kerrane.

He said the Results-Based Environment Agri Pilot (REAP) project is the trial of an agri-environment results-based scoring system at a national level, with a view to its possible inclusion in the next flagship national agri-environment scheme.

It will give participants an understanding of the conditions required for optimum biodiversity and environmental benefits. Full details of the project including terms and conditions and specifications are available on the department’s section of the gov.ie website.