New Tipperary biodiversity officer will help protect the county's natural heritage

Tipperary County Council has welcomed the announcement that it is one of 11 Local Authorities approved to appoint a Biodiversity Officer in 2023.

It is hoped the new officer will help encourage local action on biodiversity and conservation.

A spokesperson for Tipperary County Council said:

"Biodiversity is an integral part of Tipperary’s rich heritage. We have a wonderfully diverse landscape with numerous habitats, species diversity, flora and fauna. We are also, however, in a global biodiversity crisis.

"A dedicated officer within the Local Authority staff will help us to fully integrate biodiversity conservation into all of our plans and policies.

Funding for the position was announced last week by Minister of State for Heritage and Electoral Reform Malcolm Noonan.

Speaking on on World Wetlands Day, Mr Noonan said:

“These biodiversity experts are exactly the people we need at local authority level to engage local communities and to take practical action to conserve and restore wildlife species and habitats. I look forward to working with them shortly and to moving towards a full national rollout in the coming years,” said Mr Noonan.

The dedicated biodiversity officer will develop the Biodiversity Plan for their area, advise the local authority on biodiversity issues and the authority’s obligations in relation to protecting biodiversity.

They also help local authorities to fully integrate conservation into all of their policies.

"Through training and advice, they will ensure that biodiversity awareness and habitat protection are a core considerations in all our actions. Actions on biodiversity will also greatly enhance our work under our Climate Action Strategy.

"The development of a Biodiversity plan for the county will help us engage with our citizens and support habitat and biodiversity conservation in our communities.

"We look forward to partnering with the Heritage Council in delivering this programme," said the spokesperson for Tipperary County Council.

The Biodiversity Officer programme is modelled on the Heritage Officer programme delivered by the Heritage Council, City and County Managers Association (CCMA) with the support of the Department of Housing Local Government and Heritage and the National Parks and Wildlife Service.