Malcolm Noonan Minister for Heritage has announced funding for the appointment of Biodiversity Officers to 11 local authorities including county Tipperary, county Cork and Limerick City and Council 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 new biodiversity officers will advise the council on biodiversity issues and the authority’s obligations in relation to protecting biodiversity, promote a best practice response to conservation efforts and help local authorities to fully integrate nature conservation into all of their policies and plans. The 11 new positions are expected to be filled by September 2023 while a full national rollout is expected to be completed within the next 2 years.
The announcement follows a commitment in the Programme for Government to tackle the climate and biodiversity crisis, following the Dáil’s declaration of a Biodiversity Emergency in 2019, and the Citizens Assembly on Biodiversity Loss in 2022.
