Michael McNamara (Clare, Independent) | Oireachtas source

The Government supports the nature restoration law at European level. That law contains some important and admirable ambitions. The problem is that there is a lack of a dedicated funding mechanism, or any funding mechanism at all, for farmers who will be required to reduce or abandon farming activity on lands governed by the law.

At a domestic level, the Government stopped funding the Burren Life project and the hen harrier project in respect of farms on designated lands. The Minister was to discuss with his Cabinet colleagues, in particular the Minister with responsibility for heritage, whether there was any possibility of finding funding to restart these important projects. Has he had any success? Are those projects going to be restarted soon?

See this speech in context