Funding of €1,764,000 has been announced for the Irish Environmental Network and its members in 2021, an increase of €704,000 on the level of funding provided in 2020.

The Irish Environmental Network is made up of over 30 environmental groups from around the country including An Taisce, BirdWatch Ireland, the Irish Wildlife Trust, VOICE and Friends of the Earth.

Minister for Environment, Climate and Communications Eamon Ryan said he is “very aware of the financial challenges the sector has faced”.

“These national environmental NGOs are active on a broad range of environmental issues, including wildlife conservation, biodiversity and climate change,” he said.

“I have worked closely with the members for many years and I have met them on a number of occasions since I became minister. I am very aware of the financial challenges the sector has faced over the last number of years and how the Covid-19 pandemic has impacted on these organisations.

Their role in how we address the climate and biodiversity challenges we face has never been more crucial.

“Therefore, I am pleased to be able to deliver this substantial increase in their financial supports so that they can continue to build on their great work.

“I do this in recognition of the significant contribution they continue to make to Ireland’s fight against climate change.” ​

Government funding of €14 million available to businesses for energy efficient buildings

Government grants worth €14 million for businesses carrying out energy efficiency projects have also been announced today.

Successful applicants will be in the design phase of planning capital projects for new or existing buildings.

Along with this, in order to qualify for a grant, participants must follow the SEAI (Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland) Excellence in Energy Efficient Design (EXEED) standard and “embed energy efficiency” in the design of their projects.

The grant is open to public and private organisations that are planning an investment project of any scale or complexity.

Announcing the details of the scheme, Minister Ryan commented:

“Buildings are a major source of CO2 emissions so, to meet our climate goals, we need to be innovative in how we design, build and manage them for optimum energy efficiency.

“The SEAI’s EXEED grant scheme supports designers and builders to be ambitious, and put energy efficiency at the heart of their building and renovation projects. It makes both environmental and economic sense.”