GRANTS being paid to farmers are out of step with the reality of construction costs, West Cork ICMSA has warned, which is leaving farmers using Tams with considerable and unforeseen bills.
The chairperson of West Cork ICMSA, DJ Keohane, has said that the Association is being told that farmers are no longer even considering Tams (Targeted Agriculture Modernisation Schemes) as the reference costings on which the grant is based are moving into the realms of fantasy.
Mr Keohane said wherever he goes in Cork, he is being told that the Tams costings – out-of-step with real costs for the last five years – are now being pushed on by concrete inflation and the Mica levy into a ‘fantasy land’.
‘TAMS costings were drifting into unreality but it must be obvious to everyone by now that the grant paid on Tams project is way off the 40% level for farmers and the 60% for young farmers,’ he said.
He called on Agriculture Minister Charlie McConalogue to review the Tams reference costs by the end of next month so inflation in costs are addressed.
‘That must result in increased reference costings and those must be applied to existing projects under construction. It’s just unacceptable and misleading to be telling farmers that they are getting a 40% or 60% grant when the reality is completely different,’ said the Timoleague farmer.
He called on the Minister to publish the methodology used in reviewing the reference costs and itemise specific costings used for specific items.
‘The Minister should publish the price used so that farmers can judge themselves whether the real costs of construction are being taken into account when setting the Tams reference costs.’
