Launch of the All-Ireland Pollinator Plan 2026-2030
BFBI Executive Director Dr Maria Fitzpatrick attended the launch of the All-Ireland Pollinator Plan 2026-2030 at an event hosted by Dr Noeleen Smyth, Director at the National Botanic Gardens, supported through the Government of Ireland’s Shared Island Fund, the National Parks and Wildlife Service, the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine and the NIEA Northern Ireland Environment Agency.
It was great to hear both Minister for Nature, Heritage and Biodiversity Christopher O’Sullivan, Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage and the NI Minister for Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs Andrew Muir speaking in support of the plan and emphasising the need for a strong Shared Island approach. Chief Scientific Officer at the National Biodiversity Data Centre Úna Fitzpatrick spoke on the importance of business actions for pollinators, with colleagues in attendance including Business & Biodiversity Officer for the Pollinator Plan Sarah Kelly, Cillian McMahon of Business in the Community Ireland, Biodiversity Officer at Kildare County Council Méabh Boylanand our BFBI member Geoff Hamilton, Biodiversity Lead at ESB, currently pioneering the Evolution Track of our Nature Strategy Accelerator Programme.
Connecting Nature and connecting networks is a big theme for the plan, according to Eimear Fox, Senior Landscape Architect at Transport Infrastructure Ireland, something BFBI will be encouraging the many transport members in our business network to work on developing. The vision is to create a landscape that provides food and shelter every 200 metres, as important solitary bees can only travel short distances from their nest sites to find food.
The launch also heard from tillage farmer Andrew Bergin on the good work he is doing with the Pollinator Plan, tweaking farming methods to help pollinators flourish. The launch also heard from Assistant Parks and Landscape Officer Cat Savage and Dr Dara Stanley, of the Irish Pollinator Research Network, University College Dublin among many more.
Welcoming the launch, An Taoiseach Micheál Martin said: “The All-Ireland Pollinator Plan has proved an enormous success over the last decade in bringing together farmers, local communities, public bodies and businesses to help conserve and create a landscape where pollinators can survive and thrive. I look forward to seeing the All-Ireland Pollinator Plan expand and continue this crucial work in protecting sustainable agriculture, food security, and benefitting the island’s unique and precious biodiversity.”
Read more here: https://biodiversityireland.ie/launch-of-all-ireland-pollinator-plan-2026-2030/
Access the new All-Ireland Pollinator Plan 2026-2030: https://pollinators.ie/
