Ireland Needs €700 Million Annually, Government Overhaul to Save Nature

An independent advisory committee warns Ireland needs hundreds of millions in funding and a fundamental government mindset change to save its nature. A dedicated fund, potentially up to €700 million annually, is required to pay farmers, landowners, and fishers for habitat rejuvenation by avoiding intensive agriculture and extraction.

This fund would also strengthen the National Parks and Wildlife Service, invest in national parks and nature reserves, boost tree-planting, create green spaces, and accelerate river network rescue. The committee highlights frustrations due to poor communication, incoherent policies, and data-sharing unwillingness across public bodies, noting the Department of Housing failed to provide input on urban ecosystems.

The report states the State must lead restoration on public land, but Coillte and Bord na Móna, major public landowners, have commercial mandates conflicting with nature. Neither company has board members with ecological expertise. The outdated Arterial Drainage Act, requiring peatland drainage, needs repeal. Ireland lacks flood plain and localized habitat maps, a pesticide reduction plan, sufficient native tree saplings, and data on many species.

Severe limitations on pesticide sales outside professional use are needed to halt pollinator decline. Aoibhinn Ní Shúilleabháin chairs the committee, whose report, informed by public discussions and stakeholder meetings, was submitted to Minister of State for Nature Christopher O’Sullivan. Ireland, like all EU states, must produce a Nature Restoration Plan by September to restore 20% of degraded habitats by 2030 and all by 2050. A December assessment showed 90% of Ireland’s habitats are in poor condition. Ní Shúilleabháin emphasizes that funding this work is economically sound, benefiting societal health, reducing risks, and aiding climate mitigation.