My Department provides funding to the Irish Environmental Network (IEN) who fund smaller member organisations. These national environmental NGOs are active on a broad range of environmental issues, including wildlife conservation, biodiversity and climate change. In this context, I have approved funding of €2.1 million for 2022 for the IEN and its constituent members. In previous years the IEN received the following amounts of funding:
- €1,764,000 in 2021
- €1,060,000 in 2020
- €1,002,476 in 2019
- €988,299 in 2018
This funding is granted subject to the recipients complying with the provisions of Department of Finance Circular 13 of 2014, “Management of and Accountability for Grants from Exchequer Funds”. The IEN is an independent umbrella organisation for environmental NGOs with its own corporate governance structures. The distribution and allocation of funding to its members is decided by the IEN. Member organisations are requested by the IEN to submit funding proposals, and member applications for core funding are then evaluated by an independent panel of adjudicators.
I believe that it is important to fund environmental NGOs as they represent a fundamental building block in a vibrant, well-functioning democracy. They play an important role in promoting environmental values, as well as fostering civic participation in environmental activities at a local level. Environmental NGOs also assist in keeping citizens engaged and give a voice to groups that may otherwise not be heard.
