Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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195. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the progress on the programme for Government commitment to introduce locally led agri-environment schemes which will target habitats such as the hen harrier, the pearl mussel and the Burren, along with other locally led schemes that address specific environmental concerns; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3646/17]

Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
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My Department is currently in the process of introducing important new schemes under the locally-led umbrella, for the conservation of the hen harrier and freshwater pearl mussel.  I have provided a total budget of €35 million for these two schemes.  Part of this process requires the recruitment, by public tender, of a Project Team to help develop and deliver these schemes on behalf of my Department, following a similar model to the highly successful Burren farming conservation measure.  The closing date for the tender was 24 January 2017 and I would expect that the successful tenderer will be offered a contract before the end of February. The successful tenderer will be directly involved in drawing up the terms and conditions for the new schemes, along with the range of actions to be applied and associated payments.  This will be done in consultation with officials from my Department and from the National Parks and Wildlife Service of the Department of Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs, as well as drawing on local knowledge and inputs from farmers on the ground.  Once this stage has been completed, the process of recruiting farmers for a five year scheme will commence.

I have also launched an Open Call under the European Innovation Partnerships Initiative (EIP) inviting applications for funding.  The Open Call is a new way of responding to local challenges.  It is an opportunity for farmers, researchers, advisors and scientists to look at new and traditional practices, develop ideas and research and promote forms of co-operation in their own areas. Projects developed under this Open Call also form part of my Department's new 'Locally-Led' initiative and I have provided a dedicated budget of €24 million for projects emerging from this process. The closing date for the first of these Calls is 5pm on 27th January 2017 but there will be a second call later this year as well.

Finally, as regards the Burren, my Department has already introduced this scheme which recently processed its second tranche of applications.  There are now some 320 farmers in the scheme – more than double the number that have ever participated before. I propose to have a third and final tranche later this year. All participants in this new scheme receive five year contracts, rather than the annual contracts that operated previously and I have set aside €15m to fund the Programme over its lifetime.