Tidy Towns awarded €10,000 for water quality improvement on River Gaine Catchment

A sum of €10,000 has been awarded to Multyfarnham Tidy Towns for water quality improvement on the River Gaine Catchment as part of a national fund of €2.4 million.

Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, James Browne, TD, and Minister of State for Nature, Heritage and Biodiversity, Christopher O’Sullivan, TD, this morning announced €2,445,229 in funding for projects aimed at improving water quality across the country.

The funding has been awarded through the Community Water Development Fund and the Catchment Support Fund, both administered by the Local Authority Waters Programme on behalf of the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage.

Of the total awarded, €1,332,492 will be delivered through the Community Water Development Fund to 92 projects nationally and €1,112,737 through the Catchment Support Fund to 56 groups across 20 counties, in addition to two national projects.

Other funding to Westmeath is €8,250 for Athlone Canal Heritage Committee, for the creation of swales along eastern bank northern stretch of Athlone Canal; and €25,400 to Ballinahown Community Development for a water management plan for the village (“nature based solutions Stage 3 plan 2026”).

Minister Browne stated: “Local action by communities and groups is critical in our efforts to protect our waters. Through the Community Water Development Fund and the Catchment Support Fund, we are providing significant investment in the grassroots work of local communities and voluntary groups who care deeply about water quality in their local areas. My Department’s funding supports these groups to deliver meaningful projects that protect and restore local rivers, lakes and streams.”

Minister O’Sullivan added: “Communities are passionate about their rivers, streams, lakes and coastal areas, and I’m delighted that the €2.4m we’re announcing today will support local efforts to protect and restore them. The government are committed to improving water quality, and this investment will enable the Local Authority Waters Programme to continue their work supporting groups across the country to deliver on our shared goals for nature. I’d like to thank everyone who is dedicating their time, energy and expertise to these amazing habitats and wish them the best of luck as they undertake their projects.”

Under the Community Water Development Fund, communities and groups receive grants for projects and initiatives to enhance water bodies, helping to improve water quality and protect biodiversity. The Catchment Support Fund builds the capacity of community groups actively involved in water quality management by providing financial assistance for their core costs, including staff salaries, administration and promotional materials.

Both funds help community groups and organisations to deliver a wide range of projects to improve water quality nationwide, including:

• River and catchment conservation and restoration: initiatives to restore and protect local rivers and their ecosystems.

• Community engagement: programmes that promote water stewardship and raise awareness about water quality issues.

• Biodiversity enhancement: projects that support habitats and species dependent on clean water.

• Preparation of reports: feasibility studies, habitat management plans, ecological surveys, and hydromorphological studies.

Commenting on the 2026 fund, director of services for the Local Authority Waters Programme, Anthony Coleman, said: “Local communities play a vital role in protecting and improving our water quality. The Local Authority Waters Programme is proud to support the work of community groups, volunteers and NGOs across the country through our funding programmes, helping them take action to improve and protect our waterways for current and future generations.”

Local Authority Waters Programme staff have seen increased demand for these funding schemes which have grown significantly in recent years. Both funds have nearly doubled in the last two years alone, the Community Water Development Fund from €702,000 in 2024 to more than €1.3 million in 2026, and the Catchment Support Fund from €500,000 in 2024 to more than €1.1 million in the current funding announcement.

These funding schemes are an important commitment within Ireland’s Water Action Plan 2024, the roadmap to restore our waterbodies to ‘good’ status or better and to protect against further deterioration up to 2027, as required under the EU’s Water Framework Directive.

For full details of grants awarded and more information on the work of the Local Authority Waters Programme, visit: www.lawaters.ie.