The Tánaiste has given a commitment that he will “talk to” the Minister for Agriculture, about health and safety issues on hilly grounds in relation to low-emission slurry spreading (LESS) equipment.
During a Dáil debate the Independent TD for Tipperary, Michael Lowry, told the Tánaiste that he had been contacted by numerous farmers in north Tipperary who had “serious reservations” about the dangers involved in the use of LESS equipment.
Deputy Lowry told the Dáil: “From January 1, 2025 the majority of farmers will be banned from using splash plates on their farms under good agricultural practice guidelines.
“This blanket ban on splash plates will lead to greater health and safety risks for farmers spreading slurry – this is the important point – on the slopes of north Tipperary, including large tracts of hillside across Upperchurch, Borrisoleigh, Templederry, Silvermines, Newport, Ballywilliam and Portroe”.
He said while LESS equipment may be doing excellent work on low-level ground and serving the intended environmental purpose the “same tractor and tank are totally unsuitable for hillside land”.
Deputy Lowry warned that tractor-attached equipment “creates a serious imbalance” he fears could lead to life-threatening incidents.
He added: “Farmers using this expensive equipment on slopes are endangering their lives.
“Rather than a blanket implementation, could we agree on a compromise solution to address the problems of hillside farmers?”
Hilly ground
In response the Tánaiste said during a Dáil debate yesterday (Thursday, October 17) that many farmers had moved “to embrace low-emission slurry spreading technology”.
“That is facilitating improved nutrient use efficiency, farm profitability and air quality.
“There are issues from January onward in terms of obligations. I will talk to the minister for agriculture in respect of this,” he said.
The Tánaiste also highlighted that under the Targeted Agriculture Modernisation Schemes, (TAMS) grant aid in of more than €76 million was paid over the period 2016 to 2023 to farmers to buy LESS equipment.
“Grant aid continues to be available at a rate of up to 60%.
“The deputy is talking about health and safety issues on hilly grounds. I will talk to the minister in respect of that,” he added.
TAMS
Meanwhile, latest figures released by DAFM show that just over three quarters of applications made by farmers under tranche 3 of TAMS 3 have been approved.
This includes 262 applications for LESS equipment.
The latest data, published by the department, shows that 2,873 (76%) out of the 3,799 applications made under this tranche have been given the green light by officials.
A total of 612 tranche 3 applications remain “in progress”, a further 228 have been rejected and 86 withdrawn by the applicant.