Written answers
Tuesday, 31 May 2022
Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government
Local Authorities
Catherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent)
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263. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the estimated cost of implementing a review of local authority participation structures, excluding the strategic review of the Public Participation Networks which was undertaken by the Department of Rural and Community Development; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27944/22]
Peter Burke (Longford-Westmeath, Fine Gael)
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In light of the Programme for Government - Our Shared Future commitment to establish a climate action strategic policy committee (SPC) in each local authority, my Department will commence a review of SPCs during 2022. Draft terms of reference for the review are currently being prepared for consideration with stakeholders. A budget for the review has not yet been defined.
The Department of Rural and Community Development carried out and published a review of Local Community Development Committees (LCDCs) in 2019. The review sought to assess the strategic and operational development of LCDCs since their establishment in 2014 for the purpose of identifying opportunities to strengthen and support them in the coming years. The review determined that LCDCs had made solid progress since 2014 and identified some challenges. The review made a number of recommendations. The Department of Community and Rural Development continues to work with relevant stakeholders to implement the objectives and actions identified in the review.
There are no current plans to review Joint Policing Committees (JPCs). It is, however, intended to replace JPCs with Local Community Safety Partnerships (LCSPs), following the enactment of the Policing, Security and Community Safety Bill, which is being worked on presently in the Department of Justice. LCSPs are currently being piloted in three locations: North Inner City Dublin, Waterford and Longford.
Jennifer Whitmore (Wicklow, Social Democrats)
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264. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the status of the provision of biodiversity officers in each county council; if he will provide a list of the local authorities which have a biodiversity officer to date; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27971/22]
Malcolm Noonan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Green Party)
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The Programme for Government includes a commitment to ensure that each local authority has a sufficient number of biodiversity officers and heritage officers among their staff complement. The role of a biodiversity officer is prescribed at local level by the employing local authority. Biodiversity officers are the public face of biodiversity-related activities within the local authority, commissioning biodiversity surveys, implementing community related projects to improve the status of biodiversity in the local authority area, and organising relevant public events. Biodiversity officers advise local authorities in relation to their obligations with regard to national and local biodiversity policies, programmes and priorities.
There are currently five biodiversity officers employed in the following local authorities:
Fingal County Council;
Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council
Dublin City Council
Galway City Council
Kerry County Council.
My Department is committed to supporting local authorities in the important role they play in the implementation of actions contained in the National Biodiversity Action Plan. My Department’s investment in the biodiversity officer programme, through support of local authorities, will enhance their efforts to deliver benefits for biodiversity. In that context, I have allocated €600k in 2022 towards the programme. The programme is currently under development and will be delivered by the Heritage Council and the County and City Management Association (CCMA), with the support of my Department and the National Parks and Wildlife Service.
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