Catchment News

Community Water Development Fund 2023 – you can apply now for funding

The Community Water Development Fund 2023 funding call is now open and you can apply now to get funding for your project. The Fund is administered by LAWPRO on behalf of the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage. There will be €500,000 available under the call.

The Community Water Fund has been in operation since 2018. Since that time, LAWPRO have awarded €2m in grant aid to 629 grant recipients to fund all types of water related projects.

Examples of projects funded include: feasibility studies; surveys and plans; biodiversity signage; water conservation measures; invasive species control; riparian management and planting; training workshops; Citizen Science initiatives, etc.

The Fund is open to all community and voluntary groups to assist in the protection and management of water quality, both locally and in the wider catchment.

An Online Fund Clinic webinar will be hosted by LAWPRO on Friday 13 January 2023 at 11am.

Learn more:

LA Waters Community Water Fund 2023

Applications are available via the online portal: https://consult.watersandcommunities.ie/en/user/login?destination=node/20

You can download the Fund Guidelines here.

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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.

LAWCO

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.

EPA

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.

DECLG

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.