The Local Authority Waters Programme (LAWPRO) awarded grant aid of over €500,000 to local community groups in 2023, according to its annual report launched today (Wednesday, November 6).
LAWPRO is a national shared service working on behalf of the 31 local authorities in Ireland coordinating efforts to achieve good water quality across the country.
The funding was awarded through the Community Water Development Fund (CWDF) to support projects for improving water quality in local waterbodies.
The CWDF aims to grant aid projects that will bring about an increased level of knowledge and awareness of waterbodies and their water quality, increased engagement with local waters, and projects that support the protection of waterbodies.
A total of 156 applications were received in 2023, seeking almost €1 million in grant aid, according to the report. 49% of grant applications fell into the small-scale project category (€1,000 – €5,000).
LAWPRO
Director of LAWPRO, Anthony Coleman said that throughout the year, the programme grew in size in order to co-ordinate its work and facilitate collaboration between local authorities and other public bodies.
LAWPRO received sanction for an additional 15 staff across the Water Framework Directive Team. It has grown from 18 staff in 2016 to a resource of 60 plus staff at the end of 2023.
Following an evaluation process, grants offered under the open call amounted to €523,521, with 142 successful applicant groups from across the country. The average grant award under this scheme was €3,686.
The programme was successful in its bid to manage the Farming for Water European Innovation (EIP) Project – the largest EIP ever undertaken in the state for which it received sanction for 19 staff in July 2023. The total project budget is €60 million.
Coleman said that while “significant work” is taking place to improve the water quality, there remains a “challenge”.
“We look ahead to the future and the new Water Action Plan for Ireland and we welcome the review of resources required by local authorities to undertake functions in the natural waters area,” Coleman said.
Looking ahead, Coleman said that LAWPRO will take “every opportunity” to further develop collaborative work with the Climate Action Regional Offices and the new Climate Action Teams within Local Authorities.
He said that the programme will also support the development of local authority climate action plans and will welcome further resources for for biodiversity officers.