Grants totalling €520,000 to enhance water quality in streams, rivers, lakes, and coastal communities

A total of €523,000 – through 142 individual grants – has been awarded from the Community Water Development Fund , to support local community efforts to enhance water quality in streams, rivers, lakes, and coastal areas around the country.

The fund is administered by the Local Authority Waters Programme (LAWPRO) with funding provided by the Department of Housing, Local Government, and Heritage. The funding follows the 2023 open call that saw 142 successful applications from across the country. First introduced in 2018, this fund supports the delivery of projects and initiatives by local communities and groups that aim to enhance local water bodies to benefit water quality, biodiversity, and communities. The number of applications received by LAWPRO has increased steadily since the grant scheme was first introduced.

The total amount sought in 2023 was twice the grant amount available. This has been an ongoing trend in recent years and is considered a good indication of the growth in the number of community groups developing and leading on projects that enhance the quality of local water bodies.

Types of projects approved for funding this year include:

- River and habitat enhancement work, such as planting of native tree species and hedgerows, pollinator friendly planting, river-bank stabilisation, fencing and installation of riparian buffer zones.

- Match funding for large LEADER funded projects with water quality and biodiversity elements.

- Preparation of local plans such as feasibility studies, habitat management plans, ecological surveys, and biodiversity action plans.

- Awareness raising initiatives such as river clean ups, biodiversity information boards, citizen science workshops, outdoor classrooms, rainwater harvesting, and enhancement of wetlands.

This year, an additional €20,000 was awarded as part of the Blue Dot Catchments Programme. The Blue Dot Award for 2023 was shared between two groups; IRD Duhallow in County Cork and Camross Tidy Towns, Co. Laois. Blue Dots are catchments which are mostly unpolluted and contain Ireland’s best quality waters.

Full details of grants awarded are available online.