Approval letters for tranche one of TAMS III have commenced, starting with the Solar Capital Investment Scheme (SCIS), Minister for Agriculture Charlie McConalogue has announced.

Approval letters for other schemes is to be done on a phased basis.

Approval for the dairy equipment, pig and poultry, farm safety and low emissions slurry spreading schemes will commence in January 2024, with the Tillage Capital Investment Scheme and Animal Welfare and Nutrient Storage scheme approval letters set to arrive from February.

Applicants for the organic, young farmers and Women Farmers Capital Investment Schemes will see approval letters arrive from March onwards, with an expectation from the minister that all applicants will have received their first correspondence by April.

“Approvals for mobile investments will issue more rapidly as they do not require the same level of checks as fixed investments,” he said, with an anticipation that the majority of these will issue in January.

The closing date for applications under tranche two is Friday 15 December at 5pm. Tranche three of the scheme will open on Monday 18 December and will close on 11 April 2024.

The minister also highlighted that priority approval for urgent investments in slurry and manure storage and animal welfare has reopened for farmers, with applicants urged to contact their local district veterinary office if they required this priority approval.