merrion street

The Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Simon Coveney TD, today confirmed that payments in respect of the second year of the Burren Farming for Conservation Programme (BFCP) would begin issuing to farmers as and from today (Friday 17 February 2012). This is an agri-environmental programme, which was open to all farmers, who farm in the Burren region in north Clare and south Galway using unspent single farm payment funds with the agreement of the EU Commission. The Programme is implemented in conjunction with the Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht and the Burren Life Project.

Minister Coveney said “I am delighted to confirm the issuing of payments averaging €6,800 to 143 farmers under the BFCP to support high environmental value farming in the Burren which is one of Ireland’s outstanding landscapes and is known worldwide”.

Minister Coveney noted that the BFCP has already generated significant environmental benefits including a major shift away from the feeding of silage to ration-based feeding systems, the repair of almost 20 kilometers of broken walls, the provision of new water supplies and the removal of scrub from species rich grassland. These developments will result in improved water quality in this very sensitive karst landscape, protect sensitive limestone springs from pollution and allow the Burren’s famous rare flora to emerge every spring. In addition, a new network of paths has been opened up – which will assist in keeping the landscape open and accessible and protecting some of Europe’s rarest grasslands and landscape.

Minister Coveney emphasised that “in the particularly tough financial climate it is essential that funding is focused on programmes delivering, identifiable and verifiable agri- environmental measures. Without doubt the BFCP guarantees excellent value for money – farmers are paid on the basis of work done and outputs generated and all works are co-financed by the farmer – and are improving the biodiversity, water quality, cultural and landscape attributes of over 13,000 hectares of Ireland’s flagship heritage landscape, the Burren”.