The National Parks and Wildlife Service (NWPS) Farm Plan Scheme has seen poor participation levels as a result of it being unappealing to most farmers, Independent Laois-Offaly TD Carol Nolan has said.

“The relatively low take-up rate among farmers or landowners for participation in the NPWS [scheme] would suggest that the scheme is fundamentally unappealing to the vast majority of them.

"I do not expect these numbers to improve given the regulatory burden already attached to existing statutory habitat requirements,” she said.