John Paul O'Shea
Question:592. Deputy John Paul O'Shea asked 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]
View answerTuesday, 1 April 2025
Questions (592)
Written answers
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.
The applicant must be named on the herd number pertaining to the holding and have submitted an application on BPS for the 2022 Reference Year, either as an individual/Registered Farm Partnership or Company. In circumstances where the Reference Year requirements are not met, applicants must fulfil the requirement regarding occupational skill and competence.
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.