Cabinet approves €110m capital fund to help fish migration

Heritage Minister Darragh O'Brien. The new capital programme within Inland Fisheries Ireland will focus on removing or altering thousands of different structures in rivers which can interfere with natural river processes including fish movements and migration. Picture: PA

The Government has set aside €110m to help fish make their way down our rivers.

Housing, Local Government and Heritage Minister Darragh O’Brien has got Cabinet approval for a new programme to mitigate the impact of river barriers on biodiversity, principally due to disruption to the migration of fish.

The new capital programme within Inland Fisheries Ireland will focus on removing or altering thousands of different structures in rivers, including bridge floors, culverts, sluices, and weirs which can interfere with natural river processes including fish movements and migration.

Up to 7,300 of the 73,000 barriers identified nationally will likely require removal or mitigation and this will contribute significantly to the objectives of the new Nature Restoration Law.

An initial capital investment of €100m is anticipated to remove or change problem barriers between 2024 and 2027.

The estimated non-capital funding will be €10m over the same period for the operation and administration of the programme.

The Government agreed that a funding proposal will be developed for future consideration by the Infrastructure, Climate and Nature Fund, once established.

Insurance reform

Meanwhile, Finance Minister Michael McGrath brought an update on the implementation of the Action Plan for Insurance Reform to Cabinet, which shows that overall average award values were 35% lower in 2022, compared to 2020.

Nearly half (47%) of awards made in 2022 were for under €10,000, compared to 12% in 2020.

In 2023 two principal actions, rebalancing the duty of care and strengthening the Personal Injuries Assessment Board, were delivered.

The remaining three actions, which are being progressed, relate to legislation for Pre-Action Protocols, setting of the discount rate, and ongoing monitoring of civil justice legislation and procedures.

Motor insurance premiums for January 2024 are on average 40% down from the peak in July 2016.

Motor insurance prices have risen 3.4% in the year to January 2024, and house insurance prices increased 10.5%, but this is considered due to global inflationary pressures.

Top-level appointments

Public Expenditure Minister Paschal Donohoe briefed the Government on the 2022 Annual Report of the Top Level Appointments Committee (TLAC).

Cabinet also agreed that Department of Tourism secretary general Feargal Ó Coigligh is being appointed to TLAC to replace Katherine Licken who has retired.

There were 486 eligible applications received, 42% from within the Civil Service, 32% from the private sector, 26% from the wider Public Service. Recommendations for appointment were 54% female and 46% male.