175. Deputy Michael Creed asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of applications for grant aid for PV panel installation under TAMS; the number of instances in these applications where the approved installer subcontracted the works involved; the steps taken by his Department in each of these cases to ensure that the sub-contractor had the appropriate insurance cover in place; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39237/24]

To date my Department has provided grant-aid to 295 applicants for the installation of solar panels under the Targeted Agriculture Modernisation Scheme (TAMS) II. A further 77 applicants have received grant-aid for the installation of solar panels under the Solar Capital Investment Scheme of TAMS 3, while a total of 1,454 applications have been approved to proceed with works under this scheme.

In certain circumstances, a registered installer may subcontract the installation works. However, my Department does not keep a record of the exact number as the contract for the installation of the solar PV system remains with the installer from the registered list. Therefore if problems arise, the applicant may seek recourse through the main contractor, who has the appropriate insurance cover in place.

All solar PV installers must have appropriate insurance cover at the time of the contract and retain such cover in order to continue to be included on the registered list.

Correspondence was issued earlier this year to all solar PV installers on the registered list seeking confirmation of their current active insurance cover. I can confirm that the registered list will continue to be reviewed on an annual basis to ensure that all have the appropriate insurance cover in place.