North Cork Fine Gael Councillor John Paul O’Shea has welcomed funding for energy farm equipment, as announced on Monday by his colleague, Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment, Richard Bruton TD. Through the scheme, up to €500,000 is available for high efficiency milk pumps, saving the average farmer €1,440 in energy bills and 1.6 tonnes in reduced carbon emissions annually.
Minister Bruton recently received government approval to develop an all of government plan, which will have actions across all areas such as heat, electricity, transport and agriculture according to strict timelines. Cllr. O’Shea said the energy efficient farm equipment scheme demonstrates Fine Gael and the government is committed to making Ireland a leader in responding to climate change.
The Scheme is administered through Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI). Up to 40% of total technology and installation costs may be covered by the grant. The technologies covered under the scheme include Variable Speed Drive (VSD) Vacuum Pumps and VSD milk pumps.
Commenting on the funding announcement, Cllr. O’Shea said: “This is a scheme that should be welcomed on two fronts: in terms of Ireland responding to climate change and in terms of savings for farmers. This will result in reduced carbon emissions and in reduced energy bills for farmers. North Cork, and in particular the constituency of Cork North West, is one of the most rural areas in Ireland. It can be at the forefront of tackling climate change in Ireland, doing so in a way that is beneficial both to our country’s future and also beneficial to farmers in terms of savings and more efficient farming methods.”
Cllr. O’Shea’s colleague, Minister Bruton, commented on Monday: “It is vital that every sector of our economy seek ways to reduce their carbon impact. This is a great opportunity for dairy farmers to become more efficient and save money. It is one of the many practices in a farm where new ways of working can make a significant impact.”
Commenting on the grant, Jim Gannon, Chief Executive of the SEAI, said:
“Over €1,000,000 of Government money has been made available to dairy farmers over the last three years. Variable speed drive vacuum pumps can reduce energy consumption by 60% resulting in savings of over 10% on total farm energy costs. Energy efficiency can strengthen dairy farms by freeing up resources that can be invested in more productive activities and increase resilience to volatile milk prices.”
Pat Walton is a fourth-generation dairy farmer in Ballingarry, Co Tipperary, who has installed a new vacuum pump.
“The new system is much quieter and cheaper to run. It is an investment at the start, but over four or five years it will have paid for itself and after that it is saving you a lot of money. It is worth doing for the savings. It is also more environmentally friendly, cleaner and safer. I would encourage other dairy farmers to think about a new vacuum pump. The SEAI grant is important in helping install this new equipment.”
The Dairy Farm Grant complements the range of investment items available under the suite of seven measures that form the Targeted Agricultural Modernisation Scheme (TAMS II) available from the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM). Grants under the TAMS scheme can also include equipment to drive on-farm energy efficiency savings and the scheme remains open to applications. DAFM and SEAI have worked closely to ensure that their respective schemes are complementary and to give farmers options when considering these kinds of investments.
For more information visit https://www.seai.ie/grants/business-grants/dairy-farm-grant/
For more information on TAMS II visit https://www.agriculture.gov.ie/farmerschemespayments/tams/
New technology installation |
Max grant level (%) |
Max grant amount (€) Excluding VAT |
|
Single phase electricity |
Three phase electricity |
||
Replacement vacuum pump system with VSD |
40% |
€5,000 |
€3,000 |
Retrofit of existing vacuum pump with inverter VSD |
40% |
€1,750 |
€1,250 |
Retrofit of existing milk pump with VSD (including pump and/or motor as required) |
40% |
€1,000, for single and three phase electricity |
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7kRiHDdsR0I
Image
Minister for Communications, Climate Action & Environment, Richard Bruton T.D.
Minister for Agriculture, Food & the Marine, Michael Creed T.D.
Andrea Carroll – SME Programme Manager, Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland
——
Press Office
——
Roinn Cumarsáide, Gníomhaithe ar son na hAeráide & Comhshaoil
Department of Communications, Climate Action & Environment
29-31 Bóthar Adelaide, Baile Átha Cliath, D02 X285
29-31 Adelaide Road, Dublin, D02 X285
——