Carol Nolan (Laois-Offaly, Independent)
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273. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government if he will reopen access to the National Parks and Wildlife Service farm plan scheme to ensure all farmers with special areas of conservation lands will be permitted to join, given that many farmers missed out on the opportunity to enter last spring; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48043/22]

Malcolm Noonan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Green Party)
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As Minister of State with responsibility for the National Parks & Wildlife Service, I have increased the funding for the National Parks & Wildlife Service Farm Plan Scheme from approximately €500,000 in 2020 to approximately €2m in 2022.

The number of participants is expected to have risen from less than 40 at the beginning of 2020 to over 360 by the end of this year (pending the signing of farm plan contracts). It is my intention to make an open call for further applications in early 2023.

All farmers are encouraged to make applications for the NPWS Farm Plan Scheme. However, as with any scheme, numbers will be limited and it is not possible to guarantee every applicant will be accepted. Applications from farmers with designated lands, including Special Areas of Conservation, Special Protection Areas and Natural Heritage Areas, are prioritised for consideration.