Steven Matthews (Wicklow, Green Party)
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We discussed farm plans. I visited a site in Magheramore, south Wicklow recently. It is an SAC area and the farmer could not have been more complimentary about the work being done with the NPWS in terms of assistance and guidance. I am not from a farming background, but it seems to be a very successful combination of nature and farming. When the NPWS works with farmers on farm plans and gives advice, what is the success rate? Deputy Flaherty said the process was complex and many things had to be done. Does the NPWS find that many farmers stick with it and find it was not as complex as they thought it would be? Is there a dropout rate? How does the NPWS measure how good its interactions or farm plans are?