Nine out of 10 of Ireland’s EU-protected habitat types are in “unfavourable” condition, with most continuing to decline, the Climate Change Advisory Council (CCAC) has warned.
The council says urgent, sustained investment is needed to restore habitats and reverse biodiversity loss. Nearly half – 42 percent – of protected species also have an “unfavourable conservation status”.
The government comes in for criticism in the report published today by the the CCAC for making no specific nature-restoration allocation through the Infrastructure, Climate and Nature Fund in Budget 2027.
The National Parks and Wildlife Service has been allocated €112 million for 2027, an increase the council welcomes. But it estimates an annual €700 million gap in funding for biodiversity protection and restoration.
“We know how serious the problem is, yet we still haven’t committed the long-term funding needed to turn things around,” Professor Yvonne Buckley from the Climate Change Advisory Council said.
Restoring wetlands and floodplains can help absorb excess rainfall, while dunes and saltmarshes can protect coastal communities from erosion and storm surges, the council says. It argues that these habitats should be treated as critical infrastructure alongside built defences.
Ireland’s draft National Restoration Plan estimates ecosystem restoration could deliver €32.9 billion in socio-economic benefits between 2024 and 2050, compared with estimated costs of €5.8 billion.
Making that investment will lead to reduced flood risk, better water quality and increased carbon sequestration, the council says.
The Climate Change Advisory Council says long term funding, greater investment in nature-based measures, and financial support for farmers and landowners to restore and manage habitats will be key in getting Ireland’s natural environment back on track.
It also says more ecologists and conservation specialists are needed to support the work.