PEAT+ Project: €19.2 Million Cross-Border Peatland Restoration Begins in Northern Ireland

The PEAT+ Project has officially started on the ground in Northern Ireland, with Finance Minister John O'Dowd visiting Peatlands Park to mark the beginning of restoration work. The €19.2 million cross-border initiative, funded through the PEACEPLUS programme and led by Ulster Wildlife, aims to restore around 12,415 hectares of degraded peatland across 22 priority sites in Northern Ireland and the border counties of Ireland. Restoration is expected to cut carbon emissions from damaged peatlands, support biodiversity, improve water quality, and reduce flood risk. The project will also create roughly 40 green jobs and deliver an accredited LANTRA training course to build skills in the peatland restoration sector. Partners include local councils, universities, and conservation bodies, with work planned over the next three years. Peatlands are among the world's largest carbon stores, but an estimated 80% of peatland across Ireland is degraded and releasing carbon. Projects like PEAT+ are a concrete example of how restoration funding can deliver measurable climate and environmental benefits while building rural economic capacity.