On the 12 October, my colleague Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Darragh O’Brien TD, Minister of State with responsibility for Local Government and Planning, Peter Burke TD, and I announced an overall budget package for 2022 of just under €6bn for the Department.
I am pleased that, as part of this wider allocation, heritage funding for 2022 will amount to €133.5m (a 36% increase on the previous year) across capital and current, contributing to the conservation of Ireland’s heritage for present and future generations.
The National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) of my Department, which has responsibility for biodiversity, is the single largest component of that allocation, at over €47m. This represents a total increase of 64% since I became Minister – bringing funding for biodiversity and nature back up to a level not seen since before the financial crisis.