Jack Chambers (Dublin West, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

232. To ask the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the supports, funding schemes and grants which are available to non-governmental environmental and conservation organisations; the updates to same made in budget 2020; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [46769/19]

Josepha Madigan (Dublin Rathdown, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

The total funding allocated for Heritage in Budget 2020 is €62.5m, up from €54m last year – an increase of over €8m or 15.5% on 2019 – comprising additional capital provision of €6.75m (up 44%) on 2019 and additional current funding of €1.623m.

Over the course of the last year I have listened very carefully to the extensive public debate on biodiversity loss and the threats to nature. The National Biodiversity Conference in Dublin this year, which I hosted,  the development of the Seeds for Nature initiative, the wide ranging public debate on the Heritage Ireland 2030 Plan as well as the extensive engagement across Government on Climate Action were instrumental in my securing significant additional resources for this area.

Engagement with stakeholders, community and conservation groups is an important part of my Department's overall approach to tackling biodiversity loss, and to improving the prospects for our habitats and species. My Department also engages closely with a range of environmental non-governmental organisations to identify areas where they may assist in implementing the National Biodiversity Action Plan, and in our efforts to halt biodiversity loss generally.

A wide range of national NGOs are involved in the area of biodiversity including An Taisce, Birdwatch Ireland, the Irish Whale and Dolphin Group, Bat Conservation Ireland, the Irish Peatland Conservation Council and the Irish Wildlife Trust. Many local organisations and groups also carry out important biodiversity related work.

Additionally, the Biodiversity Forum, set up to advise the Minister on the content and implementation of the National Biodiversity Action Plan (NBAP), includes representatives of landowners, farmers, industry, natural heritage, environmental NGO's and academia. The Forum will continue in its role as implementation of the current NBAP progresses next year.

Funding is available for a range of schemes and programmes to assist NGOs and conservation organisations in carrying out work that supports implementation of the Government's biodiversity strategy, laid out in the Plan. The main schemes are set out in Table 1. From time to time, my Department may also have limited funding available to consider additional projects or supports for biodiversity, with a preference for science based and monitoring projects.

Final decisions on funding for schemes and grants are made each year in the context of the overall resources available and other priorities and pressures within the sector. In some cases, decisions on 2020 allocations have not been made yet as these allocations are subject to internal reviews of the respective schemes in 2019.

Table 1: Funding provided by DCHG to NGOs and Conservation Groups