RSPB Northern Ireland has welcomed Agriculture Minister Michelle O’Neill’s long-awaited announcement of funds for the Rural Development Programme (RDP). The 2014-2020 RDP could now be worth £623m, with funding supporting a range of priorities which together will lead to the enhancement of our important rural areas.
The RSPB is pleased to see that the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (DARD) has committed £186.5m of their own funds to match the EU contribution. The Minister has also asked for an additional £250m from the Executive to fund the ‘Going for Growth Agri-food Strategy’. This is a potential £123m increase in funding from the last programme.
One of the major priorities going forward is the rural environment. This RDP will see a continuation of important agri-environment schemes which support farmers for looking after our precious countryside. These schemes have been in operation since the late 1980s and have helped halt and reverse the decline of some of our most iconic species and habitats. Of the proposed £623m the Minister has stated that £256m will be channelled towards protecting the rural environment, which is good news for nature.
The RSPB is calling for more information on how the rural environment funding will be broken down. If the Areas of Natural Constraint (ANC) scheme continues at previous levels, it will account for around £100m of funding. If this is the case, the RSPB wants as much as possible of the remaining £156 to be ring-fenced for agri-environment.
The RSPB therefore urges the NI Executive to match fund the RDP and maximise the amount the funding for agri-environment to ensure our rural environment benefits both now and in the future.