Grants of over €23,500 to benefit communities and local groups in Wicklow

Green TD Steven Matthews has welcomed the allocation of over €23,500 to community groups in Wicklow to deliver projects that enhance the quality of local streams, rivers, lakes and coastal areas. Speaking following the announcement of the Local Authority Waters Programme Community Water Development Fund, Deputy Matthews said:

“I am delighted to see that Wicklow will benefit from the 2022 Local Authority Waters Programme Community Water Development Fund. This funding will help to improve water quality and ensure that we have a well-protected marine environment for local communities. It forms part of a suite of measures that aims to meet the requirements of the European Union Water Framework Directive to have all Natural Waters in Ireland at a good standard by 2027.

The following projects in Wicklow have been awarded funding:

An Oige Knockree Conservation Group	An Oige Knockree Conservation Water Quality Improvement through planting and kick sampling.	€1,853.00
Bray Tidy Towns/Swan River Conservation Group	Swan River Water Quality and Biological Assessment and Action Plan.	€4,000.00
Shillelagh Peoples Property	The Park -Stream -Shillelagh. Installation of solar powered water fountain.	€3,550.00
BirdWatch Ireland	Refurbishment of Observation Hide at BirdWatch Ireland’s East Coast Nature Reserve.	€1,000.00
Arklow Tidy Towns	Hydrogeological assessment of Arklow Town Marsh to preserve the protected 75 hectare habitat.	€2,000.00
Keep Kilcoole Tidy/Kilcoole Biodiversity Group	Ecological Assessment of the Cannistown River/Kilcoole stream and community biodiversity actin plan.	€3,523.00
Enniskerry Tidy Towns	Cookestown River Invasive Species Project - Survey, Report & Community Biodiversity Action Plan.	€2,836.00
Newcastle Residents Asscociation	Preliminary Ecological Assessment of Newcastle River	€3,750.00
ReWild Wicklow	Snapshot Europe 2022 Wildlife Survey across Wicklow Water Habitats.	€1,000.00

“I would like to congratulate all groups in Wicklow that were successful in their applications to the scheme. A wide variety of projects will be carried out, including river and habitat enhancement works, ecological surveys and the preparation of local biodiversity action plans. I am particularly delighted to see BirdWatch Ireland included in the list of projects awarded funding in Wicklow. They do extraordinary work to research and promote the welfare of wild birds and their habitats. I have had the privilege to regularly collaborate with them on various pieces of legislation in recent months, including the Maritime Area Planning Act which was passed late last year.

“This is type of long-term planning that we need for protecting Ireland’s water quality for future generations. I look forward to the release of the new revised and strengthened River Basin Management Plan, which my Green Party colleague and the Minister of State for Heritage and Electoral Reform, Malcolm Noonan TD, will publish later this year. Improving water quality is a key priority for the Green Party, and we will continue to deliver measurable actions to address this issue while in Government”, Deputy Matthews concluded.