Liam Quaide (Cork East, Social Democrats)
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116. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the grants and funding opportunities available to local communities to help maintain and/or acquire local wetland areas in order to protect their habitat and ecosystem; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10106/25]

James Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail)
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My Department provides a range of funding initiatives managed by the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS), which aim to build on the substantial investment under the three year Strategic Action Plan to support local communities to help maintain and protect local habitats and species, including wetland areas.

The Local Biodiversity Action Fund (LBAF) provides grant funding to Local Authorities to support actions in the NBAP at a local and community level. Between 2018 and 2024, over €8 million was provided to support hundreds of small-scale projects on a range of biodiversity relevant areas such as surveying and biodiversity awareness, and including funding for wetland projects such as the Knocnasilla Biodiversity Project, led by Knocknahila Biodiversity Community Group in partnership with Clare County Council.

In addition, the Tóchar Midlands Wetland Restoration (TMWR) is a project co-ordinated by NPWS, co-funded by the EU Just Transition Fund and the Irish Government. It covers the Just Transition geographical area, which includes counties Westmeath, Longford, Roscommon, Offaly, Laois and the municipal districts of Athy Clane-Maynooth (Kildare), Carrick-on-Suir Thurles (Tipperary) and Ballinasloe (Galway).

A series of funding agreements are also in place to fund restoration planning and actions for a range of wetland habitats and to assist landowners and communities to undertake works to benefit nature and other ecosystem services, following 2024 expressions of interest from wetland sites. It is expected that a second call for expressions of interest will open in April 2025.

The allocation and drawdown of funding under this project includes Fen Restoration projects for a list of 36 named sites. €500,000 is ring-fenced in 2025 and 2026 for wetland projects in conjunction with the Lions Clubs within the Just Transition area.

In 2024, my Department expanded the Peatland and Natura Community Engagement scheme (PNCES) to include all Natura 2000 Special Areas of Conservation (SAC) and Special Protection Areas (SPA), as well as peatland areas. This Scheme aims to support and encourage communities, local organisations and other interested parties to become involved in the enhancement of their natural surrounding areas and to raise awareness. This is a competitive fund, with up to €600,000 available in 2025.

A range of other funding initiatives that support wetlands and other habitat types include:

Other funding supports are provided by the Department of Agriculture, Food & the Marine.