€20.8m cross-border nature restoration project launched
(Left to right) Andrew Muir, MLA, minister of agriculture, environment and rural affairs in Northern Ireland; Paul Sheridan, Special EU Programmes Body (SEUPB) director; Dr Claire Cooper, assistant principal in the Scientific Advice and Research Directorate of the National Parks and Wildlife Service, and Joanne Sherwood, RSPB Northern Ireland, director.
PeacePlus Nature, a landmark €20.8m cross-border conservation initiative, has been officially launched. The launch represents a significant environmental investment for nature.
The programme, led by RSPB NI, creating 49 new roles, was inaugurated at the Lough Neagh Discovery Centre by the minister of agriculture, environment and rural affairs, Andrew Muir, and minister of state at the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage with special responsibility for Nature, Heritage and Biodiversity, Christopher O'Sullivan.
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This project, which aims to reverse the decline of key priority species and habitats across 23 sites in Northern Ireland and the border counties of Ireland, is supported by PEACEPLUS, a programme managed by the Special EU Programmes Body (SEUPB).
It is designed to deliver major gains for nature, led by RSPB NI, by uniting nine partner organisations and bringing together the collective expertise of BirdWatch Ireland, Butterfly Conservation, Monaghan County Council, River Blackwater Catchment Trust, Truagh Development Association, Lough Neagh Partnership, NI Water, and An Taisce — National Trust for Ireland.
By working across borders, the programme aims to create a resilient landscape where nature can thrive, ensuring the long-term survival of some of the most iconic and threatened wildlife while fostering shared environmental stewardship.
Minister Andrew Muir, said:
"The launch of the €20.8 million PeacePlus Nature programme is a powerful example of what can be achieved when we work collaboratively across Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland to tackle the shared challenge of biodiversity loss.
“This significant investment will help reverse the decline of some of our most threatened species and habitats, while supporting communities, creating new jobs and building a more resilient natural environment. It directly supports the delivery of my department’s Environmental Improvement Plan and our wider ambition to halt and reverse nature’s decline.”
Minister of state Christopher O’Sullivan, said: “This wide-ranging project drives a co-ordinated, cross-border approach to restore vital peatlands, secure the future of threatened wader birds, and manage critical habitats for our butterflies and moths.
"By taking targeted action for threatened wader birds and iconic species like the hen harrier, we are safeguarding a landscape that defines our shared natural heritage. Healthy ecosystems are not only home to precious wildlife, but are also essential to our collective health, well-being, and economic resilience.”
RSPB NI director, Joanne Sherwood, said: “For the last 60 years, RSPB NI has worked tirelessly to ensure our home is richer in nature, and we are proud to be leading this game-changing €20.8 million PeacePlus Nature project.
"Together with our eight partners, this programme represents a major step forward in supporting iconic and endangered species such as the corncrake, curlew, hen harrier and merlin across Northern Ireland and the border counties.
"We’re particularly excited about the acquisition of Inishcreenry farmland in County Fermanagh, which will play a vital role in breeding wader recovery.”
