Dept commitment on TAMS Payment Claim Deadline welcomed
THE Chairperson of ICMSA’s Farm & Rural Affairs Committee, Denis Drennan, has welcomed the commitment from the Department of Agriculture, Food & Marine to address the problem with the deadline for TAMS Payment Claims given the severe impact it has had on a number of applicants.
“We were aware of a number of cases where farmers had received 100% penalties due to the late submission of payment claims under TAMS. Under the current procedures, all payment claims for capital works must be submitted within 12 months of approval and for mobile equipment within 6 months of approval. There was an opportunity to apply for an extension to those deadlines but that had to be submitted at least one month prior to the deadline and the reality is that most farmers were not aware of this exemption or indeed how to apply for it”, said Mr Drennan.
“Against the background of what has been a very difficult and busy farming year, many TAMS investments were delayed due to unexpected events and weather pressures and the ‘ knock-on’ cashflow pressures making it difficult for farmers to make payments. That meant that it was actually unavoidable in many cases that payment claims were submitted after the deadline with the farmers being told that they were no longer eligible for the grant and having to suffer what were very significant loss”, said the Farm & Rural Affairs Chairperson.
“Minister Creed and his Department had the flexibility to address this issue and remove the severe financial implications for the farmers concerned and ICMSA now understands that the Minister and his Department has exercised that discretion and will address the severe penalties imposed. This is a welcome and fair decision and shows that there is flexibility within the system that perhaps we need to see more of. In any case, we welcome the change and believe that the farmers concerned need to be notified as soon as possible”, he concluded.