The Irish Beef and Lamb Association (IBLA) has called for a simplified grant process for backup PTO (power take-off) generators.

Following the recent heavy snow and Storm Éowyn in January, many farms across the country were left without power for extended periods.

Many farmers helped each other out by sharing generators to ensure vital work could continue on farms.

Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Martin Heydon, said this week that backup PTO generators are available for grant aid under the Targeted Agriculture Modernisation Scheme (TAMS 3).

He advised that farmers may apply for generators under the Dairy Equipment Scheme (DES), Organic Investment Scheme (OCIS), Young Farmers Capital Investment Scheme (YFCIS), and the Women Farmers Capital Investment Scheme (WFCIS).

The minister added that there is no requirement for farmers to be milking cows in order to be eligible for a backup PTO generator.

The investment is open to all farmers who declare the minimum eligibility requirement of five hectares under the Basic Income Support for Sustainability (BISS) scheme either in the year of the application or the year before.

Kieran Delaney, IBLA chair, called on Minister Heydon to provide a simplified application process for farmers for backup PTO generators for agricultural use.

He said that qualifying criteria for the four different types of grant applications available for generators "must be straightforward for the farmer applicant, their farm advisor and the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) inspectorate".

Delaney said that farmers will "need to understand with ease if they can avail of the TAMS3 grant aid".

The IBLA chair also appealed to the minister and his officials to include diesel-powered generators, as eligible items for investment aid.

"Most farms in the west of Ireland have only one tractor available to feed livestock and if it is being used for electricity generation, then there is no other tractor available," he said.

Separately, Delaney also said that the IBLA requests that "all future financial statements issuing to farmers are correctly populated under correct headings".

"The financial statements received by farmers for 2024 payments are causing much confusion and are causing unnecessary anxiety for farmers, their advisors and DAFM frontline staff at the receiving end of phone calls," he said.