Malcolm Noonan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

Our built, natural, architectural and cultural heritages are an intrinsic part of who we are. They provided our lifeline during the Covid pandemic. This Government has invested like never before, making the greatest investment in the history of the State. We have had another record budget this year, which underscores our commitment. Our core heritage funding has increased by almost €18 million to a total of €172 million, an increase of 11.5% on 2024. This includes €90 million in allocations for capital spending and €82 million for current spending.

On the National Parks and Wildlife Service, two years ago, when I met the Children and Young People's Assembly on Biodiversity Loss down in Killarney, I promised that this Government would do all in its power to protect nature. We have done that. Core funding for the National Parks and Wildlife Service has increased by €15.7 million to a total of €78 million, an increase of more than 25% on 2024. This includes €29 million for our national parks and nature reserves, an increase of €5.4 million on 2024. This will enable us to protect, enhance and restore nature and to create new national parks where we can. We have already done that with Brú na Bóinne and Páirc Náisiúnta na Mara. It also includes an increase of €6.5 million for science, research and nature protection to €23 million, which is up 40% on 2024. This will enable us to conserve more species and habitats in the wider countryside and meet our legal obligations under the birds and habitats directives. It will further support our ongoing and really fantastic work on wildlife crime. We are making significant progress in that area. It will also allow us to plan for the implementation of the nature restoration law, which again this Government has led on.

With regard to water quality and the implementation of the water action plan, funding has been increased by €4.5 million to almost €40 million, an increase of 13% on 2024. This will enable us to invest in water protection, restoring our free-flowing rivers and removing barriers, working with the farmers, State bodies and local authorities.

With regard to built heritage and monuments, support for the built heritage and national monuments and the National Monuments Service has increased by €1.65 million to €27.5 million. This enables us to support even more communities across the country to conserve the local and built heritage through the really fantastic grant schemes, the built heritage investment scheme, the historic structures fund and the community monuments fund. Over 3,000 projects have been supported under these schemes to date.

Funding for the Heritage Council has been increased by €2.2 million to €18.8 million. This is to support its incredible work in raising public awareness through Heritage Week, the biodiversity officer programme and the heritage officer programme.

As we look ahead, we have seen an increase of €100 million in core funding for heritage over the lifetime of the Government. We started with €70 million in 2020 and now have more than €170 million and are heading towards a very significant increase in 2025.

On electoral reform, the Electoral Commission, An Coimisiún Toghcháin, is doing its work. The Government continues to support that.

I thank all of my team on the heritage side. Looking at the progress over five budgets, that trajectory needs to continue into the next government.

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