Minister of State for Heritage and Electoral Reform, Malcolm Noonan has today (Monday, August 8) announced that he has approved grant funding of up to €75,000 for the Abbeyleix Bog Project for peatland restoration measures at Abbeyleix Bog in Co. Laois.
The funding comes under the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage’s Peatlands Community Engagement Scheme, which has been operating for several years.
The minister stated that he was delighted to support active and determined community and volunteer groups, like Abbeyleix Bog Project, in their efforts to embrace and bolster nature and biodiversity.
“Community groups play such an important role in protecting nature and biodiversity, and those involved in the conservation and restoration of 103ha of Abbeyleix Bog back in 2009 were ahead of their time,” Minister Noonan said.
“I’m delighted to be able to support this next phase of the project, which will take in areas of cutaway bog and wet woodland.
“Through this work, the bog will become a functioning peatland again, halting carbon emissions, enhancing water quality, and providing habitats for a diverse range of unique flora and fauna which have adapted to life in the bogs.
“This model of government-supported, community-led restoration is a powerful one and I’d like to encourage anyone interested in taking action to restore peatlands to consider replicating its success,” the minister added.
Minister Noonan has also outlined that the Peatlands Community Engagement Scheme in 2022 remains open for the submission of new applications this year, enabling community groups and others to proceed with projects delayed due to the impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Activities/projects funded under the scheme will be subject to adherence to public health guidelines, and relevant statutory requirements.
Peatland restoration
According to the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, peatlands are vast carbon stores and play an important role in preventing and mitigating the effects of climate change, supporting biodiversity and minimising flood risk, amongst other benefits.
When peat dries, due to land-use change, peat extraction and drainage, it decays, releasing carbon dioxide (CO2) instead of sequestering it, and turns a natural C sink into a significant and persistent source.
On average, when a peatland is dry or damaged, it emits between 4-15t of CO2/ha/year. Conversely, an intact peatland sequesters, on average, approximately 2t of CO2/ha/year.