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Barrier Mitigation Fund: Expressions of Interest Now Open

The Barrier Mitigation Fund is a key initiative under Inland Fisheries Ireland’s (IFI) National Barrier Mitigation Programme, NBMP. Its goal is to enhance river connectivity and restore natural water flows by funding the removal or mitigation of man-made instream barriers that obstruct fish passage.

Expression of Interests are invited until midnight on Monday 2 June, 2025.

Aims

The NBMP aims to increase the habitat available for migratory fish and restore natural sediment processes in rivers that provide important habitats for a range of native species.Through strategic investment, this programme aims to:

Improve river hydromorphology and fish passage.
Restore natural river functions and habitat connectivity.
Support the conservation of Annex II and V species (e.g. salmon, lamprey) and European eel.
Address obsolete and ecologically harmful instream barriers.

Who can apply?

State Agencies, State-owned companies, and Local Authorities can apply for this funding.
Individuals or interest groups can submit an Expression of Interest (EOI) and the project may be selected to progress with IFI as lead Applicant.
No physical construction works must commence prior to approval to ensure eligibility.

Eligible Projects

The fund targets man-made instream structures which act as barriers to fish passage such as:

Dams
Weir
Culverts
Sluices
Fords
Bridges (if impeding flow or migration)

How to Apply

Review all guidance documents and technical criteria on the IFI website: https://www.fisheriesireland.ie/what-we-do/barrier-mitigation

Visit https://ifi.smartsimple.ie and register your barrier mitigation project

Contact the Barrier Mitigation Division at IFI if you are unsure about eligibility or need support.
Email: barriers@fisheriesireland.ie
Telephone: 01-8842680

Learn more:

Review all guidance documents and technical criteria on the IFI website: https://www.fisheriesireland.ie/what-we-do/barrier-mitigation
National Barriers Programme | Inland Fisheries Ireland
National Barriers Programme Dashboard – Inland Fisheries Ireland dashboard is a comprehensive data visualisation tool designed to provide a detailed overview of the barriers to fish passage across Ireland’s waterways. The dashboard features an interactive map that displays the geographical distribution of barriers, allowing users to zoom in on specific regions and rivers for a closer inspection. Colour-coded markers and layers indicate the severity and type of each barrier, ranging from dams and weirs to culverts and other potential obstructions. Map contains data produced by the Environmental Protection Agency.

IFI National Barriers programme Dashboard

About author

EPA Catchments Unit

Administrator

The EPA Catchments Unit is based in Dublin, and the team is involved with catchment science, chemistry, ecology, hydromorphology, modelling, Geographic Information Systems and planning. We work with the wider EPA, all of our local authorities, the Local Authority Waters and Communities Office, the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government, and other public bodies and Departments to ensure we have the best available data and information about our catchments.

Who is involved?
Quite simply, everyone in Ireland has a role to play. This can be from something as simple as making sure you don’t pollute your local stream, or a local community working together to establish a Rivers Trust to enhance the rivers and lakes in their area, to a Government Department or Agency helping a Minister implement a new policy to help protect and enhance all our water bodies.

This website has been developed and is maintained by the Environmental Protection Agency, and is a collaboration between the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government, the Environmental Protection Agency, and the Local Authority Waters Programme.

Local Authority Waters Programme

The Local Authority Waters Programme coordinates the efforts of local authorities and other public bodies in the implementation of the River Basin Management Plan, and supports local community and stakeholder involvement in managing our natural waters, for everyone’s benefit.

Environmental Protection Agency

The EPA is responsible for coordinating the monitoring, assessment and reporting on the status of our 4,842 water bodies, looking at trends and changes, determining which waterbodies are at risk and what could be causing this, and drafting environmental objectives for each.

Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage

The Department is responsible for making sure that the right policies, regulations and resources are in place to implement the Water Framework Directive, and developing a River Basin Management Plan and Programme of Measures to protect and restore our waters.