Farm Safety Scheme
A grant worth 60% of your approved costs, up to €90,000 on one holding or €160,000 for a registered farm partnership.
Last checked August 2026
What it is
Grant aid at 60%, the top rate in TAMS, for handling and safety equipment. It covers fixed and mobile sheep handling units, sheep races, footbaths, rollover crates and weighing scales, cattle crushes and races, calving and bull pens, tank covers, protective fencing around a slurry store, hydraulic motors that replace a PTO shaft, rewiring and yard lights. Ceiling €90,000, or €160,000 for a registered farm partnership. A fixed sheep handling unit needs planning permission, mobile equipment does not.
Who can get it
- You have at least 5 hectares declared under BISS, or 20 production units, and you apply online through your agfood.ie account.
- You are spending at least €2,000 in the application. That is the minimum for every TAMS 3 scheme.
- You are buying items from the Farm Safety list, such as a sheep handling race, a calving pen, a cattle crush, a tank cover or a protective fence for a slurry store.
- You have planning permission if you are putting up a fixed sheep handling unit. Mobile and portable handling equipment does not need it.
- You get your application in before the tranche closes. Tranche 13 closes 4 September 2026 and Tranche 14 closes 4 December 2026.
- This is the only one of the eleven TAMS 3 schemes that funds sheep handling units. Portable races, mobile footbaths, weighing scales, rollover crates, adoption units, mobile penning and fixed handling units are here and in no other scheme.
- A fixed sheep handling unit needs planning permission, including one with a dip tank. Mobile and portable sheep handling equipment does not, so it is the faster route if you are up against a tranche deadline.
- Sheep fencing is a different scheme. Sheep mesh, mountain sheep mesh and gateways sit under the Animal Welfare and Nutrient Storage Scheme at 40%, or under the Young Farmer and Women Farmer schemes at 60%.
- Farm Safety has the best odds in TAMS 3. Every eligible application was selected in Tranche 12, a rate of 100%, and the Minister confirmed he approved them all in acknowledgement of the importance of farm safety. Other schemes came in as low as 10%.
- The €90,000 is per holding, not per application, and the minimum spend is €2,000. You are allowed more than one application in the same tranche.
How to apply
Applications go through DAFM. The official page has the full eligibility rules and the application itself.
Go to the official page →Checked against the official source on 28 August 2026. Always confirm the details on the official page before applying.
Questions people ask
Is there a grant for a sheep handling unit?
Yes, and this is the only place to get it. The Farm Safety Scheme is the sole TAMS 3 scheme that funds sheep handling units, and it pays 60%. The list covers a fixed sheep handling unit, a fixed unit with a dip tank, a portable sheep handling race with wheels including footbath, a portable basic race, sheep weighing scales, a rollover crate, a mobile batch footbath, adoption units and mobile penning up to 75 linear metres.
Do I need planning permission for a sheep handling unit?
For a fixed unit, yes. Planning permission is a condition on any fixed sheep handling unit, including a fixed unit with a dip tank. Mobile and portable equipment does not need planning permission, so a portable race, a mobile footbath or mobile penning can be applied for without it.
Is sheep fencing covered by the Farm Safety Scheme?
No. Sheep mesh, mountain sheep mesh and gateways are not on the Farm Safety list. Fencing comes under the Animal Welfare and Nutrient Storage Scheme at 40%, or under the Young Farmer or Women Farmer schemes at 60% if you qualify for those. Sheep fencing also carries a condition that you hold a sheep enterprise and keep it for at least five years from the date the grant is paid.
When do I have to apply by?
TAMS 3 runs in tranches. Tranche 12 closed on 19 June 2026. Tranche 13 closes on 4 September 2026 and Tranche 14 closes on 4 December 2026. You apply online through your agfood.ie account, the minimum spend is €2,000, and you can put in more than one application in the same tranche.
Related guides
- Fuel Income Support Scheme
- TAMS 3 Dairy Equipment Scheme
- TAMS 3 Organic Capital Investment Scheme
- TAMS 3 Pig and Poultry Investment Scheme
- TAMS 3 Nutrient Importation Storage Scheme
Not sure if this one is you?
Describe your situation in your own words and the assistant shows every support you might qualify for, this one included. Free, no sign up, anonymous.
Check what you might qualify for →Grants change all the time.
Leave your email and I will tell you if the Farm Safety Scheme changes, or a new support opens that fits you. It is free and there is no spam.