Funding boost for six biodiversity projects in Kilkenny

Six local biodiversity projects are to receive combined funding of almost €100,000.

Minister of State for Heritage and Electoral Reform Malcolm Noonan has today announced a combined €2.7 million in funding for local biodiversity projects, with €99,252 going to projects in Kilkenny. Over €2.5 million is being awarded to local authorities to carry out biodiversity projects through the Local Biodiversity Action Fund (LBAF) and €193,000 is being granted to the natural history recording community through the Small Recording Grants scheme.

Projects approved this year include:

€27,200 for Invasive Alien Species Treatment at Silaire Wood, and Woodstock Gardens and Estate
€18,557 for a Hedgerows Survey (Phase 1)
€15,555 for a Swift and Barn Owl project
€14,195 for Biodiversity and Pollinator Corridors in Kilkenny
€10,995 for a Biodiversity Awareness Programme

Operated by the National Parks and Wildlife Service of the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, the scheme was first launched in 2018. This year’s grants will build on that investment. 

“Given that it’s Biodiversity Week, I’m especially delighted to announce funding of over €2.5 million for 188 biodiversity projects," said Minister of State Noonan.

"The Local Biodiversity Action Fund is an enormously impactful scheme that supports local authorities and communities to deliver on Ireland’s national objectives for nature, from invasive species to habitat restoration to awareness-raising to surveys and monitoring work. As more and more Biodiversity Officers join the ranks of our local authorities, I know that the benefits for nature and people that this Fund provides are only going to grow.”

Small Recording Grants

A grant scheme providing support to Ireland’s natural history recording community is now in operation for a fifth year, with growing popularity and record numbers of applicants. The Small Recording Grant scheme, managed by the NPWS, aims to help established naturalists recording in Ireland to maintain and enhance their expertise in species identification, and to develop the next generation of natural history recorders.

The Small Recording Grants scheme supports volunteers, groups, societies and associations of recorders who have limited or no access to financial supports for their work. 67 applicants have been notified of their funding allocations, at a combined total of €193k. The projects supported include:

Dissection Masterclass for Determination of Species of Moths
Dragonflies and Damselflies in County Tipperary
Sponge Recording Project
A Targeted Bioblitz Survey of Freshwater-Associated Taxa in the Burren
Wexford Barn Owl Project
The data generated by these recording exercises is utilised by the NPWS to inform its understanding of the distribution and ecology of many species and to assess their status. In turn, it informs advice on nature conservation objectives and practical measures to protect species and habitats.

Minister of State for Heritage and Electoral Reform, Malcolm Noonan TD:

“It is fantastic to be able to fund these local initiatives once again. In 2022, my Department funded 24 projects to the tune of €70,000. This year, we have significantly increased resources for this very worthwhile scheme, with 67 projects approved at a cost of €193,000 – almost 3 times the projects and 3 times the funding. 

“This scheme supports the work of the NPWS in recording many aspects of individual species that it would be almost impossible for my staff to carry out themselves.”