€7 million awarded to a new European Innovation Partnership project on the theme of enhancing habitats for nature on coastal arable farmland
- Foilsithe: 16 Deireadh Fómhair 2025
- An t-eolas is déanaí: 16 Deireadh Fómhair 2025
Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Martin Heydon TD, together with Minister of State for Nature, Heritage and Biodiversity, Christopher O’Sullivan TD, today announced that the Operational Group led by SECAD have been approved to deliver the European Innovation Partnership (EIP) project ‘The Arable Coast Environment’, on the theme of enhancing habitats for biodiversity in an arable environment, along the coast from South Cork to Wexford. Funding of €7 million has been allocated to cover both administration costs and payments to participating farmers.
Speaking on the announcement, Minister Heydon said:
“I am delighted to announce, together with my colleague Minister Christopher O’Sullivan, that the consortium led by SECAD have been approved to deliver this major new EIP project seeking to enhance habitats for biodiversity on arable farmland. EIPs are locally-led, collaborative projects, that involve farmers testing innovative solutions and putting research into practice on farms. The Arable Coast Environment EIP gives participating farmers a great opportunity to develop and implement new ways to support important farmland wildlife like the Hen Harrier, Yellowhammer, Skylark and Chough.”
Also commenting on the announcement, Minister O’Sullivan said:
“I commend farmers, landowners and local communities across Cork, Waterford and Wexford coming together and joining forces to protect some of our most iconic birds. This project aims to share knowledge, manage habitats, and adopt practical measures—such as leaving winter stubbles and planting wild bird cover—to allow sustainable farming and thriving wildlife to go hand in hand. By focusing on a flagship species such as the Hen Harrier, co-benefits should be realised across a range of nature and environmental interests, while also supporting farmers, landowners, and local communities. I wish SECAD and everyone involved all the best in this exciting initiative".
Minister Heydon concluded:
“I wish SECAD every success as they undertake this important work and look forward to seeing how their collaboration with farmers yields results for nature and the wider community as the project progresses.”
Notes for Editor
The EU’s common agricultural policy (CAP) is a partnership between society and agriculture that ensures a stable supply of food, safeguards farmers’ income, protects the environment and keeps rural areas vibrant. EU countries implement the CAP at national level with a tailored CAP Strategic Plan for the period 2023-2027.
The European Innovative Partnerships (EIP) initiative is co-funded by the European Commission and the Irish Government under the CAP Strategic Plan 2023-2027.
The EIP initiative involves a range of stakeholders coming together to trial innovative solutions aimed at addressing challenges on Irish farms. The projects are locally led and implemented by collaborative Operational Groups, involving farmers, scientists, ecologists and other experts, to deliver on specific goals.
The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine together with the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage will jointly provide funding of €7 million to the Arable Coast Environment (ACE) EIP over the next four years.
The primary aims of the ACE EIP project are to:
- Identify and prioritise areas for action (hubs), based on proximity to Hen Harrier winter roost sites.
- Work to secure the long-term conservation of Hen Harrier winter roosts sites working with local landowners in the project area, exploring mechanisms for protecting roost sites
- Identify and implement a suite of results-based and other measures to deliver habitat benefits at scale and quality for Hen Harrier and its prey, farmland birds and small mammals, in the project hubs and in the wider project area.
- Create or enhance existing linkages between farmers and local artisan producers and industry.
- Provide the competent authorities (The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, National Parks and Wildlife Services) with a comprehensive dataset, as well as outcomes and recommendations for upscaling measures at landscape scale in the wider countryside.
Call documents for this project and further information on the European Innovation Partnership initiative may be found on the Department’s website at gov.ie - European Innovation Partnership Scheme (www.gov.ie).
SECAD Partnership CLG is a Local Development Company based in Midleton, Co Cork, managing a wide range of funds and services including social investment and employment support programmes implemented on behalf of a number of Irish Government Departments and State Bodies.