NPWS plan aid for 250 extra farmers

Plans  compensate farmers for costs or losses  due to their lands being designated as nature areas

Species-rich grassland is one of the aims in the NPWS farm plan scheme

An additional 250 farms will have the opportunity to join the NPWS farm plan scheme, following a funding increase in the budget. New farm plans established by the National Parks and Wildlife Service agri-ecology unit may include species-rich grassland plans, bird plans, arable farm biodiversity plans, multi-functional high nature value farm plans.

The NPWS farm plan scheme was launched in 2006. Over 650 plans have been approved. They compensate farmers for costs or losses which might arise due to their lands being designated as nature areas. In Budget 2020, the allocation for the farm plan scheme was doubled to €1m.