Martin Heydon (Kildare South, Fine Gael)
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21. To ask the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the details of funding to promote biodiversity in County Kildare, including supports for Kildare County Council; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [51905/19]

Josepha Madigan (Dublin Rathdown, Fine Gael)
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My Department is responsible for developing and publishing Ireland's National Biodiversity Action Plan. The most recent Plan (Ireland's 3rd) was published in October 2017 and includes a number of actions aimed at assisting local authorities throughout the country in their efforts to protect and conserve biodiversity in their areas. Local authorities undertake much valuable work in this sphere and several have produced local Biodiversity Action Plans which are an important element in the overall approach to halting biodiversity loss.

In support of the work carried out by local authorities, a pilot grant scheme was introduced in 2018 to assist local authority led biodiversity, with funding for this scheme doubled in 2019. Kildare County Council received funding under this scheme in support of a number of initiatives during the last year, such as the implementation of the All Ireland Pollinator Plan, biodiversity training for staff and an ecological audit of Kildare County Council Parks.

The Peatlands Community Engagement Scheme, operated by my Department's National Parks and Wildlife Service, seeks to raise awareness of the important role our peatlands have in contributing to our biodiversity and our natural and cultural heritage. The scheme encourages local communities, groups, schools and other interested parties to engage in the conservation and revitalisation of our raised bogs. Under this scheme, the Irish Peatlands Conservation Council was awarded funding to hold a ‘My Raised Bog’ education program, which provided field study experience for 300 young people from schools local in Co Kildare. Maynooth University, in conjunction with Lullymore Heritage Park, received support under this scheme to collect, analyse and radio carbon date core peat samples on Lullymore Bog and to hold workshops for interested community groups.

As part of the Seeds for Nature campaign which was launched at the 2019 National Biodiversity Conference, the Community Foundation for Ireland established a fund to engage ecologists to develop Community Biodiversity Action Plans. Grants from this fund support community groups across all 26 counties, including County Kildare, who wish to carry out ecological studies in their local areas, the goal of which is the development of a Community Biodiversity Plan with the support of a qualified Ecologist.

Josepha Madigan (Dublin Rathdown, Fine Gael)
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My Department is responsible for the implementation of a range of legislation and policy relating to biodiversity and nature in Ireland and is the National Focal Point for the UN Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), an overarching international agreement underpinning the global biodiversity framework. In this context, my Department is the lead authority for the National Biodiversity Action Plan.

The current National Biodiversity Action Plan, Ireland’s 3rd, runs from 2017 to 2021 and captures the objectives, targets and actions for biodiversity to be undertaken by a wide range of government, civil society and private sectors to achieve Ireland’s Vision for Biodiversity.

The Plan is an all-of-Government document and progress is monitored through the Biodiversity Working Group which meets at least twice a year, and also by an independent advisory group, the Biodiversity Forum.

My Department is currently preparing an interim review of the Plan and is in the process of gathering data from other Departments, agencies and stakeholders to inform that review.

Since the its launch in 2017, there have been a wide range of measures implemented on foot of actions contained in the Plan, including the introduction of a new grant scheme for local authority led biodiversity projects in their respective areas. The 20 Seeds for Nature initiative is also a significant step forward.

Following completion of the interim review, my Department will begin the process of setting out a new Plan which will be developed in the context of the outcomes of CBD-COP15, due to take place in China next October, where a new 'Global Biodiversity Framework' will be agreed by Parties to the Convention.

The NPWS Farm Plan Scheme, a mechanism for engaging with individuals in a joint conservation efforts, will continue in 2020 to support measures to protect biodiversity and assist farmers with lands designated as SACs or SPAs in their role as custodians of nature. I have doubled the allocation for the Farm Plan Scheme to €1m.

The National Raised Bog Special Areas of Conservation Management Plan 2017-2022, published by my Department in December 2017, aims to maintain active raised bog habitat and restore degraded raised bog habitat to active raised bog habitat. This programme can now be accelerated due to the announcement in Budget 2020 of €5m for peatlands restoration. This funding will allow for restoration measures to be undertaken on approximately 1,800 hectares in 2020 on up to 9 raised bog designated sites across 7 counties.