Supporting actions are voluntary measures that a farmer may choose to undertake with the aim of improving habitat quality or whole-farm score.
The Programme adopts a flexible and adaptive approach to farm management. Farmers are free to choose whether to undertake supporting actions or not, and can choose the most appropriate actions to suit their farm.
Each participant in the Programme receives an annual allowance based on their area of land within the catchment in order to undertake supporting actions.
There is a standard list of typical supporting actions that will be funded by the Programme such as livestock drinking facilities, fencing, invasive species control, re-wetting, and drain-blocking. In addition to this, the Project Team will consider funding other actions that are likely to help meet the project aims subject to value for money and the necessary consents being in place.
Rate of support
The annual allowance is €50 per ha up to an annual maximum of €1,200.
Project Team approval for supporting actions is required prior to works commencing.
The participant can submit a claim for payment to the Project Team as soon as works are completed.
Farm infrastructure that enhances the farmer’s capacity to deliver environmental benefits can be co-funded by the Programme to the value of 25-50%.
The Project Team will encourage and support farmers to propose innovative bespoke solutions that may suit certain site specific situations. In certain instances the Programme may allow such measures to exceed the annual allowance outlined above.
The Project Team may refuse, attach conditions, or modify a proposed action as outlined in the Terms and Conditions document. Payment for actions are made following declaration by the participant that the works have been delivered.
Supporting actions on commonage
Applications for supporting actions on commonage are cross-checked against the relevant Commonage Management Plan to avoid double funding.
Participants proposing actions on commonage will need to ensure that all necessary permissions are obtained from all other relevant shareholders in the commonage.
The Project Team will encourage and support groups who wish to work together to deliver supporting actions on commonage lands.
Examples of some supporting actions:
Supporting actions on a farm:
