Payments for Galway farmers under the Hen Harrier programme are “imminent”, an East Galway TD has confirmed.
In 2018 the programme had 249 valid applications for the scheme from Galway farmers out of a national total of 1,632 valid applications.
Minister Ciaran Cannon said that the purpose of the programme, which has a budget of €25m, is to pilot new approaches to farming for conservation.
The Fine Gael TD said: “I’m very pleased to have been informed by Minister Creed in the past few days that the commencement of payments under the Hen Harrier programme are imminent.
“This will be of benefit to a number of farmers in the South Galway region as the Sliabh Aughtys is designated as a Special Protection Area.
“The Hen Harrier Programme is a scheme under the Department of Agriculture’s Rural Development Programme and is one of the new types of locally-led schemes under the RDP”.
