Farmers can now apply for grant aid to purchase backup power take-off (PTO) generators under the Targeted Agriculture Modernisation Scheme (TAMS 3), according to Martin Heydon, Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine.
The grant is available through several TAMS schemes, including the Dairy Equipment Scheme (DES), Organic Capital Investment Scheme (OCIS), Young Farmers Capital Investment Scheme (YFCIS), and Women Farmers Capital Investment Scheme (WFCIS). Minister Heydon clarified that farmers do not need to be milking cows to qualify for the grant.
Backup PTO generators are listed as an eligible investment item under the DES scheme. To qualify, farmers must meet the minimum requirement of declaring at least five hectares under the Basic Income Support for Sustainability (BISS) scheme, either in the year of application or the previous year.
Minister Heydon emphasized that generators are considered fixed investments under TAMS. This is because, for safety reasons, an electrician must wire the generator into the electrical system and ensure the installation of a change-over switch. This switch prevents electricity generated on-farm from flowing back into the ESB power lines.
Storm Éowyn Highlights Need for Backup Power
The announcement comes as ESB Networks continues restoration efforts following Storm Éowyn, which left widespread damage across Ireland over two weeks ago. As of Sunday, February 9, approximately 700 homes, farms, and businesses remain without power.
Since the storm, ESB Networks has restored electricity to over 767,000 premises. At its peak, the storm left 768,000 homes, farms, schools, and businesses without power.
In response to the crisis, the European Union provided 17 generators to Ireland after the country requested assistance to address power outages caused by the storm.
Hadja Lahbib, EU Commissioner for Preparedness, Crisis Management and Equality, praised the collective response. “Extreme weather events like Storm Éowyn are increasingly testing Europe’s disaster resilience,” she said. “They also highlight the growing strength of our joint preparedness and solidarity efforts.”
The inclusion of backup generators in TAMS grants aims to help farmers prepare for future power disruptions, ensuring greater resilience in the face of extreme weather events
