Water projects receive grants

The Community Water Development Fund has announced €7,500 in grants for communities in County Meath. The grants are part of over €500,000 in grant aid which has been awarded to groups nationwide.

Meath groups to receive funding include Wild About Navan who have plans for an Urban Rain Gardens for Navan will get €1,395. The Gaelic Woodland Project Community Action Against Invasive Species will receive €3,627 for their proposal to remove invasive species.

Duleek Tidy Town will receive €1,300 for plants, bat boxes and biodiversity awareness raising.

The Alpha Dive Sub Aqua Club is to get €606.52 for their Water Quality and Sub Sea Awareness initiative - a community engagement programme with citizen science and beach cleans.

Athboy Tidy Towns Association has been awarded €600 for the Old Pump house water conservation project.

Meanwhile, the Mullagh Sports Partnership will get € 11,055 to provide a safe,environmentally friendly access area to a recently developed Biodiversity Walkway and Wetland, while Virginia Agricultural Society is to get €3,100 for their Water Quality Awareness Village at Virginia Show this year.

The latest reports from the Environment Protection Agency show that around half of the rivers and lakes in Ireland do not have good water quality, but each year, communities and local champions play a vital role in the protection and enhancement of local waterbodies. The Community Water Development Fund supports this effort.

Minister Darragh O’Brien said: “The Community Water Development Fund grants 2022 will support local communities and groups to deliver projects that enhance the quality of local streams, rivers, lakes, and coastal areas. The Fund will continue to be a key measure in the new revised and strengthened River Basin Management Plan for Ireland, which I plan to launch later this year alongside Minister Malcolm Noonan. The Plan aims to protect Ireland’s water quality, and to ensure we have a well-protected environment and vibrant communities.”