Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture, Food, and the Marine with special responsibility for farm safety Martin Heydon has announced that the Farm Safety Scheme under the new Targeted Agricultural Modernisation Scheme (TAMS 3) is now open for applications. This is the first time that farm safety investments have their own standalone scheme under TAMS and have been enhanced with a higher grant rate of 60%.
The objective of the Scheme is to provide an incentive to farmers to avail of investments to improve their own safety and that of their farm.
Grant aid will only be paid on approved, completed and eligible expenditure and shall be paid at the rate of 60% up to the applicable maximum investment ceiling of €90,000 per holding. Multiple applications per tranche are permissible. However, the minimum amount of investment which is eligible for approval under this Scheme is €2,000 per application.
Farm safety
Farm safety continues to be one of the most critical issues which needs to be addressed on farms today. In terms of workplace fatalities, it is the most dangerous occupation in Ireland with an average of 19 fatal incidents per year on farms over the past decade. Fatalities on farms account for over 40% of all fatal workplace incidents in Ireland, while farmers only account for 6% of the workforce.
With around 4,500 non-fatal injuries annually on farms, many are life changing and place the farmers’ livelihood and farm at risk. Livestock, particularly cows after calving, vehicles and machinery, falls from heights, slurry and hazardous substances all pose risks, but incidents can be avoided if these risks are properly managed.
Further information and advice on safety and wellbeing for farmers is available at: gov.ie – Farm Safety (www.gov.ie)
View the full report here: gov.ie – Minister Heydon announces opening of the Farm Safety Scheme, under the Targeted Agricultural Modernisation Scheme (TAMS 3) (www.gov.ie)
