Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 16 December 2014
693. Deputy Patrick O'Donovan asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht if she will provide details in tabular form by county of the number of landowners who have been instructed by National Parks and Wildlife Service to change their farming activities since the implementation of Directive 2009/147/EC, as it relates to the protection of the habitat of the hen harrier; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [48355/14]
View answerA habitat enhancement scheme (the National Parks and Wildlife Service Farm Plan Scheme) was available to farmers in Hen Harrier SPAs to undertake measures for the species. These measures are not a condition of the designation, nor were they mandatory. Instead voluntary commitments were entered into by 377 landowners under the Farm Plan Scheme, of which 105 plans are still active. In this respect, the National Parks and Wildlife Service of my Department has not instructed any landowners to change their farming activities since the implementation of Directive 2009/147/EC as it relates to the protection of the Hen Harrier. Any additional measures were voluntary, as set out above.
