Environment group slams 'gutting' of nature funding in NDP
The Environmental Pillar has said that the "gutting" of nature from the infrastructure, climate and nature fund to finance transport, energy and water infrastructure projects in the National Development Plan is very alarming.
According to the Environmental Pillar, the decision is "deeply disappointing and flies in the face of the government's previous guarantees on nature restoration".
It believes the decision is even more concerning given that the programme for government committed that the climate and nature fund will "ensure ongoing protection for the environment for future generation", while also committing to the development of Ireland’s Nature Restoration Plan which requires ambitious nature restoration at land and at sea under the EU’s flagship Nature Restoration Law.
The Pillar has claimed that the government's National Development Plan, that was announced this week (July 2025) has allocated nothing to nature and that it has taken €3.15 billion from infrastructure, climate and nature fund for transport, energy and water infrastructure.
Policy advisor to the Environmental Pillar, Oisin Coghlan believes that the government is "saying one thing but doing the opposite" on nature restoration.
He said: "(The government) has decided to gut nature from the infrastructure, climate and nature fund, instead using the budget to fund investment in transport, energy and water infrastructure.
"The Environmental Pillar has repeatedly criticised the absence of ringfencing for nature within the ICN fund, criticism that has been fully vindicated this week by the government’s shortsightedness."
"There is now a genuine concern that nature restoration funding is losing out to infrastructure projects that prioritise economic growth over measures to address the biodiversity emergency," Coghlan added.
The Environmental Pillar believes that the lack of any funding for nature in the financial allocations for the plan is even more shocking and worrying given that the State is currently engaging in an extensive consultation process involving farmers, fishers and environmentalists to inform the development of a national Nature Restoration Plan.
The financing of that plan remains a key concern for all stakeholders.
Agriculture policy officer with the Environmental Pillar, Fintan Kelly said: "Ireland’s Nature Restoration Plan has to be underpinned by significant investment.
"The government has repeatedly told farmers that any nature restoration under the Nature Restoration Law would be funded and voluntary and that the main burden of restoration would take place on public lands."
"They have clearly been misleading farmers and Irish society as there is no indication that the government intends to allocate new and additional funding towards nature restoration," Kelly added.
