Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein)
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2674.To ask the Minister for Rural and Community Development if she has considered enhanced funding for community organisations which her Department funds or partially funds to encourage them to become leaders in a national anti-invasive species campaigns that is, removal and replacement with native species as they take part in men’s or women’s sheds, the tidy towns, community clean-up groups, with special recognition from her Department for works carried on annually; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [32009/24]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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The Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage have primary responsibility in relation to issues with invasive species with support from the Local Authorities and the National Parks and Wildlife Service through the 4th National Biodiversity Action Plan 2023-2030. The Heritage Council and the National Biodiversity Data Centre (NBDC) also provide resource material, data and advice on the issue and the NBDC also run an "Invasive Species Week" each year - details can be found on www.invasives.ie. In that regard, these agencies are best placed to advise and inform on the management and preventative measures in relation to invasive species.

I would, however, like to acknowledge the tremendous work our Tidy Towns Committees and Men's and Women's Shed do for our communities across the country. To support Tidy Towns, I have put in place funding for groups in recent years. At the annual 2023 national awards ceremony in Croke Park I announced a funding package of €1.5 million to support Tidy Towns groups in their initiatives for the 2024 competition. This funding brings the total allocation to Tidy Towns groups by my Department since 2017 to €9.6 million. The 2024 funding will facilitate groups to look at projects for their green spaces and parks, and projects that are sensitive to our biodiversity and promote sustainable living.

To support Men’s and Women’s Sheds I have provided funding through the Community Enhancement Programme of over €2.3 million and over €310k respectively since 2018. Separately, funding has been provided directly to the Men’s Sheds Association (IMSA) of €800,000 in 2022 and €1 million in 2023. The IMSA has also been allocated total funding of €243,158 over the three-year period under the Scheme to Support National Organisations (SSNO) which runs from 2022-2025.

The Deputy will agree that this level of funding is considerable and recognises the important work that each of the organisations do in their communities. However, while advice regarding invasive species is contained in the Tidy Towns Handbook, I would advise any community groups to seek specialist advice, as referenced earlier, before tackling invasive species or contact their Local Authority as there may be current eradication/management programmes in place already.