Pippa Hackett (Green Party) | Oireachtas source

This morning, the Minister for Agriculture announced the launch of a tender process for the management of co-operation projects as part of the CAP's agri-environmental scheme. That all sounds like a bit of a mouthful but what it actually means is that we are on the cusp of doing things in a different way - a way I believe will be hugely beneficial to the environment, land and farmers.

Members may all be familiar with the term "EIP", which stands for European innovation partnership. Over the past few years, many farmers in Ireland have been involved in EIPs. They include projects like the Burren, hen harrier, pearl mussel and Duncannon EIPs. These are projects in which a landscape-level approach is taken and farmers work collectively to deliver whatever that land, the rivers that flow through their land or the species common to their land require. Thanks to the knowledge, buy-in and belief of those farmers, these projects developed local solutions to local problems. Our EIPs are hugely successful. Indeed in Europe, they are hailed as ground-breaking.

I am really proud of the fact that we are extending this locally-led approach in the upcoming CAP. Eight areas have been identified as having a particular environmental characteristic. Farmers in those areas will be invited to engage in a new agri-environmental scheme through the co-operation project teams. The tender announced this morning is to put those teams in place. It is a large undertaking so I thank all those involved. I encourage farmers in the relevant areas to engage in the coming months.

This week also represented a positive week for Offaly tourism. Fáilte Ireland announced yesterday that it has expanded its footprint for Ireland's Hidden Heartlands to include Offaly along with Cavan, Westmeath and part of Tipperary. The Hidden Heartlands brand is centred around Ireland's natural rural beauty, untouched heritage and outdoor activities - things Ireland's hidden gem Offaly has in abundance.

I am delighted Offaly is being recognised for all it has to offer. At the Slieve Bloom Mountains, the most unspoiled and uncontested in the country, people will find a walking trial to suit every ability as well as 35 km of mountain bike trails and forest roads. At Lough Boora Discovery Park, a wealth of floral displays and wildlife can be spotted among the grasslands, lakes and wetlands. One can explore the 50 km of trails and see the natural recolonisation and pasturelands in the Midlands Bog and see how it provides a new habitat for the park's biodiversity. Offaly has an abundance of bogs. While we all know the importance of preserving our bogs in the battle against climate change, they also offer a unique habitat for wildlife and biodiversity. At the raised bog in Clara, one can walk the boardwalk and experience 10,000 years of history in 10 sq. km. Where else holds such an honour? While this is just a snapshot, I hope I have raised awareness of this beautiful region and shown what Offaly, a county with nature and communities at its heart, has to offer.