I have just announced a pilot initiative to establish a National Pollinator Monitoring Scheme. The scheme will track changes in wild pollinators across Ireland and is part of an initiative across much of Europe.
There are many key players for a scheme that will monitor wild pollinators (bumblebees, solitary bees, hoverflies, and butterflies) across a network of 50 sites incorporating farmland, semi-natural, and public land.
We committed to a Pollinator Plan in the Programme for Government and this work is a substantial contribution to improving our understanding of, and conservation of, bees and other important pollinators. This National Pollinator Monitoring Scheme will build on the existing programmes of the National Biodiversity Data Centre, bringing added value to the work of the Centre in Waterford.
We have seen great strides in caring for pollinators in towns and villages, parks and gardens, and I hope we will see the same in the farming landscapes of Ireland in the years to come.
I want to acknowledge the Heritage Council in facilitating this collaboration between our two Departments and the Data Centre. Further info: gov.ie - Ministers Noonan and Hackett announce support for the establishment of a pilot National Pollinator Monitoring Scheme (www.gov.ie)
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