Government must urgently fund nature restoration as 90% of Ireland’s EU-protected habitats are in unfavourable condition, warns Climate Change Advisory Council.
Council criticises lack of dedicated funding for nature restoration in Budget 2027.
Restoring Ireland’s natural environment could deliver almost €33bn in socio-economic benefits by 2050 and strengthen protection against flooding, coastal erosion and other climate impacts.
Professor Yvonne Buckley
Publishing the Biodiversity chapter of its Annual Review 2026 today, the Climate Change Advisory Council has criticised the Government’s failure to commit adequate funding for nature restoration in Budget 2027. No specific allocations for nature restoration have been made through the Infrastructure, Climate and Nature Fund, despite the need to urgently reverse biodiversity loss and prepare Ireland for the growing impacts of climate change.
The latest conservation assessments show that 90% of Ireland’s EU-protected habitat types and 42% of protected species are in unfavourable conservation status, with the majority of protected habitat types continuing to decline.[1] Reversing this decline requires immediate action to tackle the pressures driving biodiversity loss, alongside sustained investment to restore habitats.
The Council says Ireland’s natural habitats must be recognised and invested in as critical natural infrastructure. Healthy wetlands and floodplains help absorb and store excess rainfall, while coastal dunes and saltmarshes provide natural defences against erosion, sea level rise, and storm surges. As these habitats deteriorate, communities lose protections that complement built flood and storm defences.
There is also a strong economic case for investment. Ireland’s draft National Restoration Plan estimates that ecosystem restoration and re-establishment could deliver €32.9 billion in socio-economic benefits between 2024 and 2050, against estimated costs of €5.8 billion. These benefits include reduced flood risks, improved water quality, increased carbon sequestration and healthier ecosystems.
Funding for the National Parks and Wildlife Service has increased in recent years, with €112 million allocated for 2027. While welcoming this investment, Ireland’s investment gap for biodiversity protection and restoration is estimated at €700 million per year and a dedicated, long-term funding programme to deliver the National Restoration Plan is urgently needed.
The Council is calling for multi-annual funding commitments, greater investment in nature-based measures and financial supports for farmers and landowners to restore and manage habitats. With more ecologists and conservation specialists currently needed to support existing work, restoration efforts would also support further skilled employment creation in rural Ireland.
Professor Yvonne Buckley, Member of the Climate Change Advisory Council, said: “Nine in ten 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. The increase in funding for the National Parks and Wildlife Service is welcome but it is not enough. While we also welcome the commitment of €715 million to the Office for Public Works for flood-risk management between 2026 and 2030, we need to see the same level of ambition when it comes to restoring the wetlands, peatlands and coastal habitats that help protect communities across Ireland. 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.”
In his 89th year, Dr White, sadly passed away peacefully while in the care of staff at Fennor Hill Care Facility, Urlingford, Co. Kilkenny.
The passing of Dr White is most deeply regretted, sadly missed and lovingly remembered by his sorrowing family; daughters Jess and Pippa, grandchildren Alex, Darcie and Riley, sister Dorothy, extended relatives, neighbours and a wide circle of friends.
If you would like to make a donation in Dr White’s memory, please consider a dementia research charity in memory of Dr. Norman Everett White, (19th March 1937 – 2nd November 2026).
Much loved father, grandfather, brother and uncle, raconteur, food gourmand, reader and thinker; Dr White greatly enjoyed life’s pleasures. Despite experiencing dementia towards the end of his life, he maintained his curiosity and humour. “Life death does end and each day dies with sleep.” – extract from “No worst, there is none”, (Sonnets of Desolation” 1885), by Victorian poet and Jesuit priest, Gerard Manley Hopkins.
Current: Undeclared peanuts in Tobby Foods Kuli Kuli & Tobby Foods Suya Spice.
Alert Summary dated Wednesday, November 4th 2026.
Allergy Alert Notification: 2026.A28. Allergen: Peanuts. Product Identification: Tobby Foods Kuli Kuli; pack size: 200g & Tobby Foods Suya Spice; pack size: 150g Batch Code: All batches and all best-before dates. Country Of Origin: Nigeria.
Message: Tobby Foods Kuli Kuli and Tobby Foods Suya Spice contain peanuts which are not declared in the list of ingredients. This may make the products unsafe for consumers who are allergic to or intolerant of peanuts and therefore, these consumers should not eat the implicated products.
How can Irish Rail write off approximately €50 million of taxpayers’ money on a failed project, while passengers face higher fares and communities continue to struggle with inadequate railway services?
In 2020, Irish Rail awarded Spanish company Indra a contract to develop a modern train traffic management system. It was supposed to be operational by 2024. Instead, after years of delays, technical failures and mounting costs, the contract was cancelled in July 2026. The result? €50 million written off, no working replacement system, and the prospect of further expense.
Around €28 million went towards the contractor, with approximately €17 million spent on project management and associated costs. Irish Rail blames the contractor for failing to deliver. The contractor disputes this.
But who was watching over the taxpayers’ money? Who approved the spending? Who monitored the project? Why was so much money allowed to be spent without a successful outcome?
Above are questions that Irish Rail’s senior management, its board and the National Transport Authority must answer.
And now passengers face another financial blow. From January 2027, rail fares are set to increase, with Intercity Express fares rising by 10% and Economy fares by up to 20%. The NTA says these increases are due to rising operating costs and funding pressures. There is no confirmed evidence that the failed €50 million project caused the fare increases. But taxpayers and passengers deserve to know whether they are indirectly bearing the financial consequences of this failure.
Meanwhile, communities throughout County Tipperary continue to struggle with limited rail services. Imagine what even a fraction of that €50 million could have contributed towards improving rural public transport. Public money is not Monopoly money. It belongs to the people of Ireland. We need a full explanation of what went wrong, who was responsible for the decisions, and what money, if any, can be recovered.
Accountability must begin with those entrusted to manage and safeguard public money.
Local Authority Integration Team (LAIT) Monthly Drop Clinic.
Ms Maura Barrett Reports From Cashel Library, Co. Tipperary.
The Local Authority Integration Team (LAIT) Monthly Drop Clinic will take place in Cashel Library. on tomorrow Wednesday November 4th from 9:30am–12:00 noon.
LAIT offers guidance on employment, English classes, health, social welfare, community activities, CV support and volunteer organisations
Contact Cashel Library Tel: 062-63825.
You canlocate Cashel Library building, situated on Friar Street, Lady’s Well, Cashel, Co. Tipperary, HERE. [Eircode E25 K798].
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