Over €50,000 awarded in funding to Offaly biodiversity projects

Over €53,000 has been granted to support Offaly Biodiversity projects under the Local Biodiversity Action Fund (LBAF.)

The Camcor and Little Brosna Rivers have been awarded a whopping €17,000 to support control works.

Syngefield Demesne which represents one of Council’s largest land holdings has received €15,000. It is planned that fencing off the demesne woodland along the river; replanting demesne oaks; planting native species to provide groves which will also screen the business park; reinstate a remnant hedge; survey species present; update tree report; grassland management will all be considered.

Over €5,000 has been allocated to help implement practical conservation initiatives to protect Barn Owls to help secure the future of Barn Owl populations.

Funding of €5,173 has been set aside to create biodiversity advertisements for increased awareness.

Over €4,000 in funding will go towards the 'In Your Nature Podcast' which is a collaboration between BirdWatch Ireland and local authority Heritage Officers in Laois and Offaly to raise biodiversity awareness.

Over €3,000 has been granted to a project which focuses on the Quagga mussel, a high impact aquatic invasive alien species discovered in the Shannon in 2021 and aims to address several key knowledge gaps. The quagga mussel will outcompete the zebra mussel, establish higher biomass even on soft sediments to a depth far beyond 34m, effect the filtering rates of our lake and river water and threatens the provision of water as it will affect abstraction.

Funding of €1,700 will be given to a Habitat Study on Bryophytes on the Camcor Tributary.

Finally, over €1,000 has been allocated to a citizen science initiative which the County Council will purchase of two moth traps to let the public use for collection of data.

Malcolm Noonan T.D., Minister for Heritage and Electoral Reform, announced over €1.4 million in funding for Local Authorities to carry out these biodiversity projects.

Since it was launched in 2018, a total of almost €4m has been granted to local authorities through the LBAF to carry out projects in support of the National Biodiversity Action Plan 2017-2021 (NBAP).

Minister Noonan said: “We know that communities are at the heart of biodiversity action and that’s why I’m so thrilled to see this fund continue to grow and increase its impact all across the country. This year, we’ve funded 128 projects across all 31 Local Authorities, this will have real, tangible impact for nature and it couldn’t come at a more crucial time. What’s more, the successful projects are all contributing to the implementation of the National Biodiversity Action Plan and helping to advance our shared vision for nature. The new NBAP is currently out for public consultation, so it’s a great opportunity for people to have their say and help shape the future for biodiversity in Ireland.”

Engagement with communities and local authorities is crucial to the implementation of the NBAP. The LBAF scheme represents a commitment to support implementation of the plan at community, county and regional level, and recognises the importance of the work carried out by local authorities through their biodiversity and heritage officers. All 31 local authorities applied for and will receive funding this year, with a total of 128 projects approved, covering a range of biodiversity related activities, including invasive alien species control, dune restoration, wetland surveys and biodiversity awareness and training.

The public consultation for Ireland’s 4th National Biodiversity Action Plan launched on September 1 and submissions are invited through www.gov.ie/biodiversityplan. The public consultation will close on Wednesday, November 9 and the 4th NBAP will be published in early 2023.