After months of delays, part approvals under the Targeted Agricultural Modernisation Scheme (TAMS II) have been issued, Minister for Agriculture Michael Creed has said.

The approvals have been issued to farmers who are in urgent need of milking facilities and to those who urgently need low-emission slurry spreading equipment.

More than 5,000 farmer applicants are waiting on approval from the Department from as far back as last year.

Without approval, necessary building work cannot go ahead.

The information was given in reply to a parliamentary question to the minister from Fianna Fáil TD Declan Breathnach.

IT issues

The Department admitted last month that IT issues were the main reason for the long delays.

Minister Creed also revealed that “work is ongoing on the completion of a computer system to process subsequent TAMS II payment claims”.

The Department previously told the Irish Farmers Journal that its new IT approval system would be finalised for all TAMS approvals by the end of March and all outstanding approvals would begin then.

The IFA has been calling for approvals for some time, with rural development chair Joe Brady describing the delays as “totally unacceptable”.

A new dedicated tillage scheme and sheep-fencing elements of TAMS II are expected to be launched in the coming weeks.