Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 21 January 2026
221. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will provide a breakdown of solar PV approvals, by farm enterprise type, dairy, beef, tillage, mixed and so on; whether the Department has evaluated whether the current scoring system disproportionately disadvantages full-time dairy farmers relative to lower-energy-use enterprises; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4654/26]
View answerThe Targeted Agriculture Modernisation Scheme (TAMS) is a demand-led scheme with a defined budgetary allocation. TAMS 3 is a hugely popular scheme, with 5,529 applications received under the Solar Capital Investment Scheme (SCIS), which is one of eleven schemes available under the TAMS umbrella. To date, a total of 3,149 approvals have issued under SCIS, with €22.9 million in payments issuing to 1,232 applicants.
|
SCIS Approvals by type |
|
|
Enterprise Type |
Total Approvals |
|
Field Crops (Tillage) |
97 |
|
Horticulture |
10 |
|
Milk |
1725 |
|
Mixed (Crops and Livestock) |
124 |
|
Other Grazing Livestock (excl. Milk) |
967 |
|
Other Permanent Crops (Fruits) |
1 |
|
Pigs or Poultry |
225 |
|
Total |
3149 |
Under the Solar Capital Investment Scheme, grant aid is provided to assist farmers in maximising their contribution to the production of renewable energy through the installation of Solar PV technology, together with battery storage on Irish farms.
Of the 3,149 approvals issued to date under SCIS, 55% of approvals have issued to dairy farmers. This achieves the objective of providing support to a sector with significant energy usage by encouraging investment in renewable energy, thereby reducing their dependence on fossil fuels. On that basis, I believe that the current ranking and selection scoring system is the best mechanism for ensuring that funding is targeted at the most appropriate enterprises. I will also ensure that the system continues to be reviewed on a regular basis.
