Meath County Council has signed up as partners to the All Ireland Pollinator Plan.  At a ceremony in Navan Meath County Council Chief Executive Jackie Maguire and Cathaoirleach Cllr. Wayne Harding signed a framework agreement with the National Biodiversity Data Centre to undertake actions to support pollinators in County Meath.

The All-Ireland Pollinator Plan is a cross-sector initiative, led by the National Biodiversity Data Centre, with local authorities, farmers, businesses, schools and local communities to support pollinators such as bees. Ireland depends on pollinating insects to pollinate our crops, fruits and vegetables. Unfortunately, many of our pollinators are now threatened with extinction.

By becoming a partner Meath County Council agrees to support the ethos of the Plan and to consider it in its policies, plans and management decisions.  The National Biodiversity Data Centre has published a guidance document for Local Authorities which outlines 30 actions that councils can take to help pollinators; Meath County Council has committed to undertake a number of actions each year. 

Dr Úna FitzPatrick, All-Ireland Pollinator Plan Founder and Project Coordinator, said “This is a very important step. We have witnessed so much positive action by individuals and local communities around the country, and so many Councils have made changes to the way they manage their parks and public lands – to make them more pollinator-friendly. We are thrilled that Meath County Council has become a partner to the Plan and agreed to take actions to help protect our biodiversity.”

Cllr Wayne Harding, Cathaoirleach said that “It is important that Meath County Council supports local and national efforts to halt the decline of pollinators.”

 Jackie Maguire, Chief Executive highlights that “We will implement actions such as adopting pollinator friendly mowing regimes, planting pollinator-friendly species, erecting signage to identify pollinator-friendly habitats on council lands and undertaking training projects to raise awareness and understanding of pollinators.”

In signing up a partners to the All Ireland Pollinator Plan Meath County Council agrees to:

• Support the ethos of the All-Ireland Pollinator Plan and to consider the Plan in their policies, plans, and management decisions where possible.

• To consider the evidence-based actions in the guideline document Councils: Actions to help Pollinators, and to carry out one pollinator-friendly action in the first year of signing up and plan to carry out at least three more within the following five years. The guideline document lists 30 possible actions.

• To update the All-Ireland Pollinator Plan Team (within the National Biodiversity Data Centre) on the positive pollinator actions you have planned, implemented or maintained at the end of each year

For further information and guidance on pollinators please see www.pollinators.ie