Robert Troy
Ceist:599. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the remuneration available to owners of callow land along the Shannon catchment area. [13316/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraTuesday, 30 June 2020
Ceisteanna (599)
Freagraí scríofa
My Department implements a number of financial support schemes for farmers, including those farmers who own callow land in the Shannon catchment area. For example, farmers in the Shannon callows are eligible to avail of the financial support paid out under the €1.2bn annual Basic Payment Scheme and the €250m annual Areas of Natural Constraint Scheme. In addition, support is available for farmers participating in the GLAS agri-environment scheme as is support for capital investment projects under the Targeted Agricultural Modernisation Scheme (TAMS).
The National Parks & Wildlife Service (NPWS) also operate farm plan scheme, to trial and test new approaches to farming for nature. Currently, there are three NPWS farm plans in the Shannon Callows, focussing on breeding waders (namely Curlew, Snipe, Lapwing and Redshank). Applications for new farm plans were recently requested and 12 applications were successful in the Shannon Callows. NPWS is currently procuring the services of a farm planner to engage with the applicants, with a view to designing farm plans, which both NPWS and the farmers in question will consider to take forward.