Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 7 December 2021
237. Deputy Jennifer Whitmore asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage when the competition will commence for local authorities to apply for funding for a biodiversity officer; the number of biodiversity officers that will be funded across all councils; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [59811/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe 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. There are currently five Biodiversity Officers employed in local authorities, mainly in the Dublin area.
The role of a Biodiversity Officer is prescribed at local level by the employing Local Authority. The primary function of a Biodiversity Officer is to promote, manage and co-ordinate biodiversity related activities within the 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.
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. Officials of my Department are working on establishing a programme to facilitate the roll out of biodiversity officers within local authorities nationwide. 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 phased deployment of the programme will begin in 2022 and continue to 2024.
