Holly Cairns (Cork South West, Social Democrats)
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960. To ask the Minister for Rural and Community Development if her Department and public bodies/agencies that operate under her remit have policies in place to install artificial structures that provide shelter and habitat space for wild species, such as, but not limited to, insect hotels, bat boxes, nesting towers, and beehives; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [24268/23]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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My Department has a number of measures in place which can contribute to the installation of structures that provide shelter and habitat space for wild species. Some of the funded programmes encourage and promote the enhancement of biodiversity when reinstating and/or landscaping areas e.g. native pollinator plants. For example, applications received under CLÁR 2023 must outline if the project includes an enhancement of biodiversity.

Applicants for the Outdoor Recreation Infrastructure Scheme (ORIS) will be required to identify, where appropriate, how a proportion of the funding sought will be used to support climate action or biodiversity measures e.g. tree/hedgerow planting on trails. It is imperative that projects do not have a negative environmental impact and, where possible, they involve measures which enhance the biodiversity of the area in question or introduce measures that support climate action.

My Department administers the SuperValu TidyTowns competition and many TidyTowns groups around the country have installed artificial structures such as bat boxes and insect hotels. These structures are installed in a bid to support biodiversity in their areas.

My Department has a Green, Energy & Organisation (GEO) Committee in place which oversees energy efficiency measures, promotes green initiatives within the Department, and champions sustainable practices. While there are no specific policies in place to install such artificial structures at my Department's offices, this is something which will be further considered as part of my Department's next Climate Action Roadmap.

There are four agencies under my Department’s remit: the Western Development Commission, POBAL, Irish Water Safety, and the Charities Regulator. In respect of these bodies, information relating to such policies are a matter for the bodies concerned. They are all independent legal entities responsible for managing their own corporate affairs in compliance with their statutory obligations.