A surge in the level of enquiries for road underpasses is being reported by farm service providers and builders.

“We usually do around 30 to 40 underpasses a year, but this year I can see us doing one a week,” said Bertie Troy from Grasstec.

Cashel-based building contractor Jim Leamy agreed. There had been a marked increase in enquiries from dairy farmers since it was signalled at the Ploughing Championships last autumn that underpasses would qualify for TAMS grants, he said.

Leamy’s firm, Jim Leamy Plant Hire Limited, usually does four or five underpasses a year, but he said a lot more farmers are calling about them at the moment.

While the eligibility of underpasses for grants under the new Targeted Agricultural Measures Scheme (TAMS) has certainly influenced the increased level of activity this year, Troy said other factors were also at play.

Along with removing the risk of livestock-related accidents on busy roads, underpasses could also extend the milking platform, improve the farm’s labour utilisation and the holding’s overall efficiency, Troy maintained.

Cost

The cost of an underpass can vary from €50,000 to €100,000, depending on the width of the road, the underlying ground conditions and whether there are services, such as water mains or fibre-optic cables, to be accommodated.

The TAMS grant is generally worth 40% overall cost for qualifying farmers – 60% for young trained farmers – with the reference cost under TAMS set at €5,000/linear metre.

Another factor that can influence costs is local authority requirements.

“Unfortunately, there are no standard guidelines for the level of information you need to submit for planning, and that can add time and expense,” Troy said.