Low Emission Slurry Spreading Scheme

About this scheme

LESS funds the purchase of new Low Emission Slurry Spreading equipment, an environmentally sustainable technology that helps Ireland meet its ammonia and reactive nitrogen emissions reduction commitments, while improving nutrient recovery from slurries and reducing reliance on chemical fertiliser. Grant aid is paid at 60% of approved, completed and eligible expenditure, up to a maximum LESS investment ceiling of €40,000 per holding; where two or more eligible partners in a registered Farm Partnership apply jointly, the ceiling rises to €60,000. Unlike most TAMS 3 schemes, the LESS ceiling sits outside, and is not deducted from, the general €90,000 TAMS 3 investment ceiling per holding. The minimum eligible investment per application is €2,000. To qualify, an applicant must have at least 5 hectares of land declared under BISS (or BPS/equivalent) in the year of application or the preceding year, or alternatively be a pig producer with a minimum of 60 production units at application. Applications are made online via agfood.ie, as with other TAMS 3 schemes.

Who can apply

• Applicant must have a minimum of 5 hectares of owned, leased or rented land declared under the Basic Payment Scheme (BPS) or Basic Income Support for Sustainability (BISS), or equivalent, in the year of application or the preceding year
• Alternatively, applicant may qualify by being engaged in the breeding, rearing or fattening of pigs with a minimum of 60 production units at the time of application
• Minimum eligible investment per application is €2,000
• Multiple applications per tranche are permitted, subject to the applicant's remaining investment ceiling
• The LESS investment ceiling is separate from, and not counted against, the overall TAMS 3 €90,000 investment ceiling per holding

How to apply

1. 1Register for the Department's online services at agfood.ie if not already registered.
2. 2Submit the application online via agfood.ie, either yourself or through an authorised agent; multiple applications per tranche are allowed, each subject to the €2,000 minimum investment threshold.
3. 3Applications received in a tranche are assessed and ranked against the scheme's published selection/marking criteria.
4. 4On approval, complete the works within the timeframe specified in the approval letter, notifying the Department in advance of key stages where required for certain investments.
5. 5Submit the payment claim online with all required supporting documentation (receipts/invoices, tax clearance, relevant quality certificates, etc.); grant aid is paid at 60% of the lowest of the reference cost, invoiced cost, or proposed cost, up to the relevant ceiling.