In 2023, all 42 councils and local authorities on the island of Ireland formally signed up to the All-Ireland Pollinator Plan. This is a huge achievement that shows we are now all on the same page when it comes to managing our landscape for pollinators.
Overall, pollinating insects are still in decline, but since the Pollinator Plan began we have gained the support of many governmental and non-governmental partners and have seen increases in local pollinator populations where actions have been taken to help them. This shows what we are doing is working and gives us hope that if we continue to take action together, we can create an island where pollinators can survive and thrive.
We have reached a huge milestone, but we still have a long way to go. The All-Ireland Pollinator Plan will continue to work with councils to support their efforts to help pollinators, and provide up to date, evidence-based advice.
Local authorities are carrying out significant work to protect biodiversity and pollinators, as reflected in the Council Partner 2023 Annual Report.
2023 Council Partner report
Every council partner is required to submit an update on their actions for pollinators, which is then published on the All-Ireland Pollinator Plan website. This facilitates transparency and accountability, and knowledge-sharing between local authorities.
The 2023 report demonstrates some of the excellent work being done by councils to help pollinators. Each Council is different, as reflected in the varied areas of focus and the wide range of actions reported. Many councils are tackling the same challenging areas of work, from large-scale meadow management to identifying pesticide alternatives. The Pollinator Plan advocates prioritising the protection of existing natural and semi natural habitats, creating natural meadows through reduced mowing, sustainable pollinator-friendly planting, and eliminating pesticide use. This report shows how these actions are becoming more widespread, as more councils embrace this approach and manage our landscapes for the benefit of pollinators.
The intention of this report is to showcase the positive work being carried out by councils, and to provide a mechanism for knowledge exchange between them, inviting local authorities to reach out to one another to learn from each other’s experiences and expertise.
What’s next?
In the All-Ireland Pollinators Plan 2021-2025, Objective 2 is to make public land more pollinator friendly. Over the course of the next phase, we want to better support our Council Partners by providing more and updated evidence-based resources, more technical advice, and more knowledge exchange opportunities. .
Knowledge-sharing through blogs and conferences is a key objective of the Council Partner network. The 2024 All-Ireland Pollinator Plan Council Conference run in collaboration with South Dublin County Council will explore key areas of work and explore solutions to common challenges faced by local authorities.
Over the coming months the All-Ireland Pollinator Plan will release an updated version of the guideline Councils: Actions to Help Pollinators. This will include a scoring system to allow councils to measure their progress and identify areas for further development.
Read the full 2023 report here: All-Ireland Pollinator Plan 2023 Council Report – PDF
We sincerely thank all our Council Partners for their support of the All-Ireland Pollinator Plan in 2023
