Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 31 May 2022
264. Deputy Jennifer Whitmore asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the status of the provision of biodiversity officers in each county council; if he will provide a list of the local authorities which have a biodiversity officer to date; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27971/22]
View answerThe Programme for Government includes a commitment to ensure that each local authority has a sufficient number of biodiversity officers and heritage officers among their staff complement. The role of a biodiversity officer is prescribed at local level by the employing local authority. Biodiversity officers are the public face of biodiversity-related activities within the local authority, commissioning biodiversity surveys, implementing community related projects to improve the status of biodiversity in the local authority area, and organising relevant public events. Biodiversity officers advise local authorities in relation to their obligations with regard to national and local biodiversity policies, programmes and priorities.
There are currently five biodiversity officers employed in the following local authorities:
Fingal County Council;
Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council
Dublin City Council
Galway City Council
Kerry County Council.
My Department is committed to supporting local authorities in the important role they play in the implementation of actions contained in the National Biodiversity Action Plan. My Department’s investment in the biodiversity officer programme, through support of local authorities, will enhance their efforts to deliver benefits for biodiversity. In that context, I have allocated €600k in 2022 towards the programme. The programme is currently under development and will be delivered by the Heritage Council and the County and City Management Association (CCMA), with the support of my Department and the National Parks and Wildlife Service.
