Laois projects get over €140,000 in grants
A beautiful Laois barn owl. The county's protection project is among the schemes that will receive funding. Photo: Laois Barn Owl Project
GRANTS totalling over €140,000 have been approved for a variety of Laois projects, under three separate government funding schemes.
The grants announced this week will see €143,318 spent on projects ranging from tree surveys and the protection of barn owls to river drainage works between Shanahoe and Durrow.
The largest slice of funding at €95,255 will go towards a wide range of biodiversity projects throughout the county.
A further 25,200 has been approved for drainage works on the river Nore, while €22,863 in heritage grant funding has been awarded to the Killeshin Waterworks Committee, to restore sluice gates at the Killeshin Reservoir.
Work promoting biodiversity awareness on the Portlaoise Orbital Route will receive €26,749, while a study on county ecosystem services will get €10,000.
Other grants will go to the Laois Nature Based Solutions Project (€20,000); the Laois Barn Owl Project (€6,576.20); Abbeyleix road verge planting (€2,500); Laois County Council’s baseline tree survey (€14,462); Laois In Your Nature project (€3,966.95); Treatment of Japanese Knotweed (€10,000) and Laois Biodiversity Borrow Boxes (€1,000).
The drainage works on the river Nore will be carried out in the townlands of Cloncough, near Shanahoe down towards Watercastle, Durrow. A number of homes are at risk of flooding and this funding aims to address the problem.
Welcoming the funding, Laois TD Seán Fleming (FF) said: “There is great diversity in the range of grants which deal with heritage sites, river flooding and biodiversity projects. Many people will benefit directly from these improvements and I look forward to all these projects being completed this year.”
Local TD Willie Aird (FG) said: “I’m delighted to see funding for local projects which are so important to Co Laois. I want to commend the commitment of all those involved in these projects, to protecting and enhancing our local biodiversity which is key in protecting the health of the environment in our county.
