Niall Collins
Question:344. Deputy Niall Collins asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the reason an area in County Limerick between Fedamore and Grange has been designated as an area of special interest for geese and swans, which has resulted in a number of farmers, who would like to participate in the green low-carbon agri-environmental scheme to boost their farm incomes, walking away from the scheme because the costs of compliance with this designation would be in excess of any financial benefit they would receive from the scheme itself; given the consultation process carried out by the National Parks and Wildlife Service for previous special protection area designations, the reason why a number of changes were made before the May 2015 deadline to the specification of the scheme covering birds such as the hen harrier, but there was no relaxation of the specification for geese and swans; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33434/15]
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