Funding announced for Carlow to have its own biodiversity officer

Carlow is to have its own biodiversity officer, with funding for the role announced this week.  

Minister for Heritage and TD for Carlow Kilkenny Malcolm Noonan has announced that a further 11 Local Authorities have been awarded funding for the appointment of biodiversity officers, including for Carlow County Council.

This brings to 25 the total number of biodiversity officers that will be working with Local Authorities across Ireland to deliver local biodiversity action, with Kilkenny having received funding in 2022.

Along with Carlow, the latest tranche of funding will see biodiversity officers appointed in Cork, Donegal, Laois, Leitrim, Limerick, Longford, Louth, Meath, Monaghan, and Tipperary County Councils, and the new positions are expected to be filled by September 2023.

Meanwhile, the 10 local authorities that received funding approval in September 2022 are at an advanced stage in recruiting.

Announcing the funding today, Minister for Heritage Malcolm Noonan said: “We’re already seeing the tremendous impact that the four biodiversity officers in post in Fingal, Dún Laoghaire Rathdown, Galway and Dublin City Councils are having; we added 10 more late last year – including one for Kilkenny; and as of today we’re on track to get another 11 officers recruited, and I’m delighted that Carlow is on that list. This is just really good news for nature, and really good news for Carlow.

“Once they’re filled, these new posts will have an enormous impact on the ground in helping to deliver action for biodiversity, for wildlife and for habitats, and the new biodiversity officer will be available to support local communities in Carlow in their efforts too.

“Having access to this kind of expertise at a local level is invaluable to communities that want to engage with this issue and take real, practical action to address the biodiversity crisis. It’s a really important additional resource to empower our local authorities in their work to protect and restore nature,” Minister Noonan said. 

Fine Gael TD, John Paul Phelan, has welcomed the approval of funds for the  appointment of a biodiversity officer in Carlow. 

“As the home of the Heritage Council and a constituency which places huge emphasis on enhancing biodiversity and protecting our environment, this is another great news day for Carlow-Kilkenny," he said. 

“Community and voluntary groups, local authorities in both counties and our environmentally-conscious farm families continuously work with nature, not against it. They are conscious of protecting wildlife, about improving water quality and improving habitats where our native Irish birds and bees can thrive.

“These two appointments will enhance and support the work done right throughout the two counties in our schools, our workplaces, our housing estates and along our roadways and shared community spaces by so many and future generations will thank us for it,” Deputy Phelan said.

The biodiversity officer programme is being delivered by the Heritage Council and the County and City Management Association (CCMA) with the support of the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage and the National Parks and Wildlife Service. 

In addition to developing a Biodiversity Plan for their county of city and establishing a county or city biodiversity forum, the new biodiversity officers will be able to:

advise their local authority on biodiversity issues biodiversity-related issues and the authority’s obligations in relation to protecting biodiversity.

promote a best practice response to conservation efforts

help local authorities to fully integrate nature conservation into all of their policies and plans.