Hen Harrier Scheme Opens
The €25m locally-led Hen Harrier Programme is now open for application.
The locally-led scheme funded through the Rural Development Programme is targeted at farmers with designated land.
To apply, you must send in an expression of interest form. A monthly quota for new participants will be filled for each SPA.
There are 3 categories under the selection criteria:
- Farmers who participated as development farmers during the design phase of the Programme.
- All other farms are scored based on the proportion of the farm designated and the total area designated as SPA for breeding Hen Harrier.
- Farmers with lands in a critical site for Hen Harrier i.e. near nest sites or winter roosts.
Farmers in category 1 or 2 will be automatically accepted.
Farmers in category 3 will be ranked against all other applicants in that SPA that month. The highest ranking farms will be accepted first.
If you are not accepted in the first month you will remain in the running and be ranked against other applicants the following month etc.
This will continue until you are successful or the Programme closes.
If you are accepted, the Hen Harrier Project Team will notify you, prepare a Farm Plan free of charge and send it out to you along with the Programme Terms & Conditions, a list of provisionally approved advisors and a contract that you must sign and return within 1 month
Full details are available on the Department of Agriculture’s website
