Farm waste management grants backlog due to ‘huge delays’ in securing planning

SOME Connemara sheep farmers who applied for farm waste management scheme grants in 2006 didn’t get planning permission for the buildings until September or October, 2008 — less than three months before the deadline to have all construction and grant applications completed.

According to Pádraic McCormack, TD, an EU directive stipulates these farmers must take their sheep off the hills between October and January, for a short period in January they put the sheep back on the hills, but they must take them off again between February and March.

They needed facilities on the lowlands, so that they can take their sheep off the mountains for five months of the year.