Michael Healy-Rae (Kerry South, Independent)
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Question 115: To ask the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht if financial assistance or grants are available from the Government or an EU source for grouse management; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16066/11]

Jimmy Deenihan (Kerry North-West Limerick, Fine Gael)
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My Department provides advice and support to local gun clubs, farmers and landowners in conserving the red grouse in suitable habitats around the country. In the past, my Department has provided some limited funding to gun clubs around the country to assist them in red grouse conservation projects but such funding is now restricted by financial constraints. It is open to organisations to submit projects to the EU LIFE+ fund for species restoration projects, but these require matching funds which are difficult to provide at this time. Finally I should add that my Department provided €3,500 from the Biodiversity Awareness Fund for a national conference on the conservation status of red grouse in 2010.