Govt criticised over lack of funding to restore habitats

The Climate Change Advisory Council has strongly criticised the Government's failure to provide dedicated funding to restore Ireland's damaged natural environment.

The Council is warning that the deterioration of habitats is leaving the country increasingly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change.

In its latest annual review on biodiversity, the Council said that 90% of Ireland's EU-protected habitat types and 42% of protected species are in an unfavourable conservation condition.

More than half of protected habitat types are continuing to deteriorate.

The Council said the degradation of wetlands, peatlands, grasslands and coastal ecosystems is increasing Ireland's vulnerability to flooding, droughts, wildfires, coastal erosion and other extreme weather events.

It expressed particular disappointment that Budget 2027 contained no dedicated provision for implementing Ireland's National Restoration Plan.

It also criticised the failure to allocate any specific funding for nature restoration from the Government's Infrastructure, Climate and Nature Fund.

The Council estimated that Ireland faces an annual biodiversity investment shortfall of approximately €700 million.

Professor Yvonne Buckley, a member of the Climate Change Advisory Council, said the Government had failed to match its commitments to biodiversity protection with the necessary financial resources.

"Nine in 10 of Ireland's EU-protected habitat types are in unfavourable condition. We know how serious the problem is, yet we still haven't committed the long-term funding needed to turn things around.

"There is a clear business case for this investment into biodiversity and nature restoration efforts. Without functioning and restored ecosystems, Ireland will suffer economically, ecologically and socially," Prof Buckley said.

The Council acknowledges that funding for the National Parks and Wildlife Service has increased substantially in recent years, reaching €112m in Budget 2027, five times its 2019 level.

However, it said that additional long-term investment is urgently needed to address the scale of the biodiversity crisis.

The report pointed to estimates contained in Ireland's draft National Restoration Plan which suggest that restoring damaged ecosystems could deliver €32.9 billion in economic and social benefits between 2024 and 2050.

This compares with estimated restoration costs of €5.8bn over the same period.

The projected benefits include reduced flood risks, improved water quality, increased carbon storage, healthier ecosystems and greater protection against the impacts of climate change.

The Council argued that Ireland's natural environment should be regarded as part of the country's critical infrastructure, alongside housing, transport, energy and water services.

It said that healthy wetlands and floodplains help absorb and retain excess rainfall, while coastal dunes and saltmarshes provide natural protection against erosion, rising sea levels and storm surges.

The destruction and degradation of these habitats are weakening natural defences at a time when climate change is increasing the risks from extreme weather.

Prof Buckley welcomed the Government's commitment of €715m to flood-risk management through the Office of Public Works between 2026 and 2030.

However, she said similar levels of ambition were needed for restoring natural habitats that could help protect communities from flooding and coastal erosion.

"Nature is critical infrastructure that helps us to achieve our climate mitigation and adaptation targets with many co-benefits. It is not an optional extra," Prof Buckley added.

The Council recommended that the Government establish a targeted funding programme by early 2028 to support farmers and landowners in restoring natural water-retention systems, including wetlands, floodplains and peatlands.

It also called for stronger legal protection for Ireland's estimated 689,000 kilometres of hedgerows.

Surveys in counties Monaghan and Kildare found that approximately 88% of hedgerows examined were in an unfavourable condition.

It also wants local authorities to expand urban green spaces and tree cover to help reduce flooding and extreme heat in towns and cities.

Public bodies, including Coillte, Bord na Móna, the Office of Public Works and local authorities, are being urged to take a greater role in restoring biodiversity on state-owned lands.

The Council also warned that serious shortages of ecologists and other biodiversity specialists could further delay efforts to meet Ireland's conservation and climate commitments.

It said the Government must urgently address these shortages and ensure that nature restoration receives the same strategic priority as other critical national infrastructure.