Niall Collins (Limerick County, Fianna Fail)
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651. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government if a project (details supplied) can be continued given its importance; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20213/22]

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail)
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Through the Local Authority Waters Programme (LAWPRO), my Department is currently providing €295,688 in funding to the Rivers Trust Resilience Pilot Project.

Run in collaboration with the Rivers Trust Ireland, this project provides funding to the Inishowen Rivers Trust in County Donegal and the Maigue Rivers Trust in County Limerick to each employ a Project Officer for a period of three years.

The project aims to demonstrate the effectiveness of professional support for the rivers trust movement in Ireland by employing a dedicated full-time project officer, who has been tasked with securing additional funding for their Trust, as well as developing strategic approaches towards greater self-sustainability within each charity.

Now in its final year, the Rivers Trust is due to complete a full report on the project in the coming weeks. On completion, further consideration will then be given to the future funding requirements for these and the other Rivers Trusts in Ireland.

In the meantime, I would advise the relevant Trust to engage directly with LAWPRO and the Rivers Trust Ireland, as the lead organisations on this project.