Farm Safety remains at the centre of the latest TAMS 3 update, as Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine Martin Heydon confirmed that Ranking and Selection will be applied to Tranche 12 applications. The announcement, published via gov.ie, also makes clear that eligible farm safety projects will continue to receive full support, while nutrient storage investments will retain strong priority.
The latest move reflects the scale of demand under the Targeted Agricultural Modernisation Scheme, which has become one of the most closely watched supports in Irish agriculture. With thousands of applications continuing to flow in, the Department must balance investment needs with available funding while keeping Farm Safety and environmental compliance high on the agenda.
Farm Safety and TAMS Tranche 12: what has been decided?
According to the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, 69,593 applications have been submitted across the first 12 tranches of TAMS 3. Tranche 12 alone closed on 19 June 2026 with 5,839 applications submitted, alongside 1,395 rolled-over applications from Tranche 11.
Because demand remains exceptionally high, Ranking and Selection will now be used on a differentiated basis across the schemes. However, Farm Safety has again been fully protected, with 100% of eligible applications under the Farm Safety Capital Investment Scheme set to be selected.
The minister also confirmed that 75% of eligible nutrient storage applications will be selected in this tranche, underlining the continued importance of storage capacity for compliance, sustainability and on-farm resilience.
- Farm Safety Capital Investment Scheme (FSCIS): 100% selection
- Animal Welfare Nutrient Storage Scheme (AWNSS): 75% selection
- Women Farmer Capital Investment Scheme (WFCIS): 75% selection
- Young Farmer Capital Investment Scheme (YFCIS): 75% selection
- Organic Farming Capital Investment Scheme (OCIS): 75% selection
- Pig and Poultry Investment Scheme (PPIS): 75% selection
- Tillage Capital Investment Scheme (TCIS): 70% selection
- Dairy Equipment Scheme (DES): 20% selection
- Solar Capital Investment Scheme (SCIS): 10% selection
- LESS: 10% selection
Why Farm Safety is still being prioritised
The government’s position is clear: Farm Safety is too important to be diluted by competition alone. By approving all eligible safety-related applications again, the Department is signalling that reducing risk on farms remains a national priority alongside investment in productivity and climate-related improvements.
This approach also fits wider public policy themes seen across Irish state bodies and departments, from Agriculture and Rural and Community Development to Health and Social Protection. While agencies such as the Health Service Executive (HSE), An Garda Síochána and the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) operate in different spaces, the common thread is prevention, compliance and public wellbeing.
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What farmers need to know about TAMS 3
TAMS 3 is jointly funded by the National Exchequer and the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development under Ireland’s CAP Strategic Plan 2023-2027. Payments of more than €181 million have already been issued, showing the scale of investment now being made into Irish farm infrastructure.
The scheme includes 11 individual supports, covering areas such as:
- Farm Safety
- Nutrient storage
- Dairy equipment
- Tillage investment
- Pig and poultry development
- Organic farming
- Solar investment
- Low-emission slurry spreading equipment
Grant rates vary from 40% to 70%, depending on the scheme, applicant profile and investment type. Young farmers, women farmers, organic farmers and farm safety applicants remain among the key priority groups under the current structure.
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Upcoming TAMS closing dates
Farmers planning future applications should note the next deadlines:
- Tranche 13 closes on 4 September 2026
- Tranche 14 closes on 4 December 2026
For technical queries, applicants can contact the scheme by email at tams@agriculture.gov.ie, while general administrative queries can be directed to TAMS 3 Admin.
What this means for Irish agriculture
The latest TAMS decision shows that Farm Safety is still one of the strongest protected priorities in farm investment policy. At the same time, nutrient storage continues to receive meaningful backing, reflecting ongoing pressures around environmental standards, efficiency and sustainable growth.
For farmers, the takeaway is straightforward: Farm Safety remains fully supported under Tranche 12, and those considering future capital works should watch the next application windows closely on gov.ie and through updates from the Department of Agriculture. Article/Image Courtesy: gov.ie
