The Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage has approved funding to 11 local authorities to appoint biodiversity officers.

The appointment of these officers, when completed, will bring to 25 the total number of such officers in local authorities around the country.

The aim of these officers is to drive local action on biodiversity.

The 11 new positions are expected to be filled by September of this year. The full national roll-out of these officers across the country is due to be completed within the next two years.

The roll-out of these officers in being delivered through the Heritage Council and the County and City Management Association (CCMA), with the support of the department and the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS).

The officers will develop a biodiversity plan for their local area, and will also advise the local authority on biodiversity-related issues and their particular authority’s obligations.

They will help authorities to fully integrate conservation into their policies, plans and actions, through training and provision of advice.

The 11 local authorities who will appoint officers through this latest approval are:

  • Carlow County Council;
  • Cork County Council;
  • Donegal County Council;
  • Laois County Council;
  • Leitrim County Council;
  • Limerick City and County Council;
  • Longford County Council;
  • Louth County Council;
  • Meath County Council;
  • Monaghan County Council;
  • Tipperary County Council.

Commenting on the roll-out of new officers, Minister of State for heritage and electoral reform Malcolm Noonan said: “These biodiversity experts are exactly the people we need at local authority level to engage local communities and to take practical action to conserve and restore wildlife species and habitats.”

Dr. Matina Moloney, chairperson of the Heritage Council, said: “Through the appointment of these biodiversity officers, we are prioritising a community-based approach to biodiversity and habitat restoration.

“The blend of local knowledge and evidence-based science has been very effective in the design and delivery of local heritage plans, and will ensure that local action for biodiversity will focus on the drivers of biodiversity loss; local priority species and habitats; and policies and actions at local level to halt and reverse biodiversity loss,” Dr. Moloney added.