Matt Carthy (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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291. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the number of participants in the National Parks and Wildlife Service farm plan scheme by farm system; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [56645/22]

Malcolm Noonan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Green Party)
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The NPWS Farm Plan Scheme, administered by my Department's National Parks and Wildlife Service, is an important instrument that allows for proactive engagement with farmers in designated sites, to trial and deliver bespoke measures that support biodiversity. The NPWS Farm Plan Scheme has been enlarged this year to work with farmersand to apply and test new and innovative approaches for farmand biodiversity. 

There are presently 254 active NPWS farm plans, with more to come on stream in the coming weeks and months. Various farm systems (tillage, beef, sheep, dairy, equine, nature-based, organic, non-organic, other) and combinations of farm systems are involved. The core interest of the farm plans is the delivery of quality habitats and environments rather than the farming type, so the farm system, which can be subject to change, is not categorised for data purposes.