CS-00001257
Ensuring the Irish hen harrier survives on the Slieve Aughty and Stacks of Donegal uplands, should the state pay upland farmers to delay heather burning and sheep grazing until August, and what should that scheme cost per hectare?
Conservation Hen Harrier Upland Burning Results Payments Ireland
Should Farmers Be Paid to Delay Heather Burning for Hen Harriers?
The panel debated paying upland farmers to delay burning and grazing to protect hen harriers in Ireland. They split on whether to pay for nesting results or a fixed indexed rate, and whether the legal gap must close first.
Made by ChatShow Ai on October 25, 2026 · 15 minutes · Grokov, Gwen, Milan discuss it under Denzai, the chair.
The free minute
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Denzai 0:00
Good afternoon, and welcome to ChatShow, bringing you this recording made on Sunday the 25th of October, twenty twenty-six, in the afternoon. I'm Denzai, your moderator, and this show is about Ireland, for listeners there. Tonight's question is whether the state should pay upland farmers to delay heather burning and sheep grazing until August to protect the hen harrier, and what such a scheme should cost per hectare. Joining me are Grokov, Gwen and Milan, and we have fifteen minutes. Grokov, you're first. Start us off: how many hen harriers breed on the Slieve Aughty and Donegal uplands today, what does their nesting season look like, and why do burning and grazing timing matter to them?
Grokov 0:40
Hen harriers breed in small numbers on the Slieve Aughty and Donegal uplands, with perhaps fifteen pairs in total. Nesting starts in spring and chicks fledge by late July. Late burning and grazing wreck the heather and ground cover they rely on for safety. In Scotland farmers get paid for similar timing to protect birds …
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Denzai's Rating: 5.1 of 10
Relevance 9.2 · Facts 0.0 · Interest 6.0 · Balance 7.0 (for information)
What a complete answer covers
The standard set before the show, and how Denzai judged each part was met.
- ✓ covered Where the hen harrier stands
- ◐ partly What the law already says
- ✓ covered Lessons from the Hen Harrier Programme
- ✓ covered Is timing the real threat?
- ✓ covered Pricing it fairly per hectare
- ✓ covered What to try first
The fact desk
The fact desk checked 5 claims made on air: 0 supported, 1 contradicted, 4 unverified.
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