Irish organisations have secured €1 billion in funding to help shape national and EU-wide responses to key current challenges including animal health and welfare and antimicrobial resistance according to a minister of state.

Ireland has officially passed the €1 billion mark in funding secured from the EU’s framework programme for research and innovation - Horizon Europe.

Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) with special responsibility for research and sevelopment, Noel Grealish said today (Wednesday, September 30) that funding had been successfully secured for research projects focused on agriculture, food and the bioeconomy.

"Ireland’s success in Horizon Europe is built on strong national research performance which is enabled by funding including from my department and other public research funders," Minister Grealish added.

One of the Horizon Europe projects that Irish researchers are working on is Stepping Up for Europe's Sustainable Livestock Systems.

The project has a budget of €4.31 million and involves 16 partners from 10 countries. It is led by Professor David Kenny from the Teagasc Animal and Grassland Research and Innovation Centre in Co. Meath. 

The aim of the project is to "upgrade livestock production in Europe by making it more sustainable".

It plans to do this by "tackling issues in European livestock farming by giving policymakers clear information on the effects - both positive and negative - of raising animals".

"This will help establish better farming methods throughout Europe that are sustainable, reuse resources, and are open about their practices," according to the project team.

The Horizon Europe programme also encourages co-funded programmes between the European Commission and member states.

According to Minister Grealish DAFM is providing financial support towards four partnerships across the areas of sustainable food systems, animal health and welfare, agroecology and antimicrobial resistance.

"Irish researchers are therefore helping to shape national and EU-wide responses to some key challenges – climate change, biodiversity loss, food security, animal health and welfare and antimicrobial resistance," the minister added.