Storm highlights why diesel generators should come under TAMS 3 - ICMSA

The impact of Storm Éowyn has highlighted why the equipment eligible to come under TAMS should be broadened, the farmers' lobby group ICMSA contends.

As TAMS 3 tranche 6 applications opened last week, the Chairperson of ICMSA Farm Business Committee Pat O’Brien appealed to the Department to include diesel generators for funding given the ongoing issues arising from the latest storm.

Pat O’Brien, went on to call on the Revenue Commissioners to allow farmers to claim VAT back on generators.

“Under the current TAMS 3 Dairy Equipment and Women Farmer Capital Investment Schemes, only back-up PTO-driven generators are eligible for funding which, while welcome, is not suitable for every situation; it involves what might be the only tractor on the farm and they are also more expensive.

"Given the frequency at which extreme weather events are taking place and the reliance of particularly dairy farms on electricity, it is vital that farmers can prepare for interruptions to supply and so avoid disastrous outcomes. A generator is fast becoming an essential piece of equipment on most farms and - as well as the farmer’s peace of mind -there is the freeing-up of the ESB network crews who could turn to other emergency work”, said Mr O’Brien.

Maintaining that a standalone generator is a worthwhile investment and an obvious item for inclusion in TAMS 3, Mr O’Brien also reminded farmers that PTO-driven generators cannot be bought before TAMS approval as they are classified as a ‘fixed item’ at present and he called on the Minister for Agriculture, Food & Marine to change this requirement and allow farmers to purchase once the application has been submitted, thus allowing farmers to make an immediate purchase.

The Farm Business Committee chairperson also called on the Revenue Commissioners to revise VAT rules so that farmers can claim VAT back on all generators.

“The country continues to deal with the fallout of Storm Éowyn with farms across the country still without power. As always in these emergencies, farmers have helped each other out by sharing generators over the last number of days to ensure vital work can continue on farms. But lessons must be learned from this occasion and ICMSA thinks that the inclusion of standalone diesel generators in TAMS and a facility to reclaim the VAT on all generators are just obvious and prudent measures that will address increasingly important questions around both farmer and animal welfare”, said Mr O’Brien.

“The reality is that these extreme weather events are becoming more frequent and more intense, and our preparations have to reflect that. These are sensible and prudent measures that make sense on all levels and we expect the Department to look at them closely and see the merits of our case”, he concluded