11 new biodiversity officers will support local action for nature
11 local authorities have been awarded funding for the appointment of biodiversity officers, Malcolm Noonan TD has announced today (February 2nd). This brings to 25 the total number of biodiversity officers that will be working with local authorities across Ireland to deliver local biodiversity action.
The latest tranche of funding will see biodiversity officers appointed in Carlow, Cork, Donegal, Laois, Leitrim, Longford, Louth, Meath, Monaghan, and Tipperary County Councils, along with Limerick City and County Council, and the new positions are expected to be filled by September 2023. Meanwhile 10 local authorities that received funding approval in September 2022 are at an advanced stage in recruiting.
The new biodiversity officers will:
- advise their local authority on biodiversity 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
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; and as of today we’re on track to get another 11 officers recruited. This is just really good news for nature, and for the action that’s happening at a local level right across the country.
“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 officers will be available to support local communities 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.”
