According to the Department of Agriculture, TAMS II payments have been made to 2,126 farmers to date, with 126 farmers having been paid in the last week (up to 1 December). A total of €500,000 was paid out in the last week, with an average payment of just under €4,000. The Department continues to urge applicants to lodge payment claims, if works have been completed. While this may seem small, it lines up with the type of applications that farmers have made through the scheme.

The current tranche of TAMS was due to close on 12 January 2018. However, according to the Department, this has now been changed to 23 February 2018. The 10th tranche of TAMS will open the following day. A budget of €70m has been set aside for 2018.

The Department has stepped up its efforts to fully utilise yearly TAMS budgets by reducing the time that farmers have to complete work. Initially, successful applicants had 36 months from the date of approval to complete works. This was changed on 13 January 2017 when the sixth tranche of the scheme opened. Now farmers who are approved on mobile equipment or other equipment have six months to submit a payment claim. Applicants who get approved on fixed equipment or structures have 12 months to submit a payment claim.