Grant funding of just under €107,000 has been approved to eight local community groups and organisations for a variety of projects focused on the conservation and revitalisation of raised bog Special Areas of Conservation, Natural Heritage Areas and other peatland areas.

Malcolm Noonan TD, Minister for Heritage and Electoral Reform, stated that he was delighted to see the diverse range of initiatives put forward by these active community groups and environmental organisations under the Peatlands Community Engagement Scheme in 2020 during challenging times and had decided to award over double the original allocation of funding of €50,000 after seeing the level of interest in the scheme and the quality of applications.

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The funding will support the development, maintenance and upgrading of walking trails and looped walks around bogs in Counties Offaly, Roscommon, Cavan, Galway and Westmeath. It will support a peat carbon project, the installation of signage and way finder makers on bog roads, the production of promotional videos and website creation, the installation of recycled plastic seating and wooden bench seats, a moth trap and arachnid study, the restoration of old bog equipment, the erection of wooden access control gates and waste removal.

Minister Noonan said: "During this current pandemic we have seen people reconnecting with nature and the outdoors. It is encouraging to see such sense of place and community spirit and the championing of conservation benefits for their local peatlands. Peatlands are a unique habitat that we have in Ireland and play an important role in supporting biodiversity and climate action for the benefit of all. The involvement of local community groups is paramount to biodiversity conservation, and this scheme is a positive example of that."