The National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) has said that 10% the farmers taking part in the Farm Plan Scheme will be inspected this year.
One of the main objectives of the scheme, which was launched in 2006, is to trial novel approaches to farming for the environment, to safeguard particular sites, habitats and species.
It also encourages farmers to work towards meeting conservation measures required under the EU Birds and Habitats Directives.
The NPWS said that the over 800 plans approved to date under the scheme “have been instrumental in designing national agri-environment schemes, which have been implemented on a larger scale”.
NPWS
The Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, which oversees the NPWS, is inviting tenders from service providers to carry out the audits of farm plans across the country.
Currently, there are approximately 318 live plans across Ireland. However, the NPWS expects that this number will rise during the term of the contract. This would result in around 38 plans being audited annually.
The audit services will focus on assessing the implementation and effectiveness of farm plans within the NPWS Farm Plan Scheme.
The audits will include examining compliance with the scheme, evidence of land title, supporting documentation, along with the quality and execution of the farm plan.
The NPWS said that the participating farmer, farm planner and NPWS regional staff will be notified of the time and date of farm visits.
It noted that audits may need to be carried out at specific times of the year due to the nature of the habitat.
The auditors will return to farms where non-compliances have been reported in order to assess remedial efforts and will also provide recommendations and suggestions for improvements.
Contracts
The department said that the auditing contracts will be issued for a term of two years, with the option for this to be extended for up to another two years.
According to the tender documents, it is estimated that the audits will cost around €200,000, excluding VAT.
The closing date for the submission of tenders is 12:00p.m on Monday, September 16.
Minister of State with responsibility for heritage, Malcolm Noonan previously confirmed that a total of 372 farm plans were active over the course of 2023, with a total number of 24 planners.
However, some farmers withdrew from the scheme, resulting in 322 active plans by the end of the year.
“Last year, a call for new farm plans was issued and 174 applications were received. After a competitive process, 63 plans were approved. There were no new planners appointed in 2023,” he said.
Payments totalling €874,457 were made to existing participants in 2023, with an average individual payment of approximately €8,832.