We are delighted to welcome Cork City Council as our newest partner to the All-Ireland Pollinator Plan, which formalises Cork City Council’s long-term commitment to support pollinators in Cork City. In becoming an All-Ireland Pollinator Plan Partner, Cork City Council agrees to support the ethos of the plan; to consider the plan in policies, plans and management decisions where possible, and to carry out pollinator-friendly actions as outlined in the plan.
Pollinators have suffered huge declines in recent decades, with one-third of our 99 Bee species currently at risk of extinction. The All-Ireland Pollinator Plan is a shared plan of action that aims to reverse those declines by working with local authorities, businesses, schools, transport authorities, and members of the public to increase pollinator-friendly habitats across the island of Ireland.
Cork Lord Mayor Cllr John Sheehan said, “ I am delighted that Cork City Council are playing their part in supporting the All-Ireland Pollinator Plan. There is huge interest from the public in pollinators and an awareness that we have to take action now. Small changes made by local authorities, businesses, schools and local communities can make a huge difference.”
Cork City Council, through the work of the Heritage Officer, Niamh Twomey, the Parks and other Departments, has already carried out several actions which support the All-Ireland Pollinator Plan, including sponsoring and hosting the 2018 All -Ireland Pollinator Plan Conference, and plans are in place to continue this work.
These include:
- Designating nature and wildflower areas within parks, open space areas and amenity walks.
- Keeping the use of pesticides to a minimum.
- Treating alien invasive species.
- Planting native trees and plant species.
- Working with NGOs and communities to develop natural heritage projects.
- Working with schools to promote the Pollinator Plan.
- Implementing natural heritage actions from the Cork City Council Heritage and Biodiversity Action Plan.
- Including natural heritage and its protection in the Cork City Council draft Climate Adaptation Strategy
Chief Executive Ann Doherty said “As a Local Authority, we already carry out many actions that support the All-Ireland Pollinator Plan through the work of our Heritage Officer and the Parks Department, including reducing the use of pesticides, changes in mowing regimes and pollinator-friendly planting schemes. I look forward to building on these achievements in the future.”
Current Council partners List (more are in the process of signing up):
- Ards and North Down Borough Council
- Cork City Council
- Dublin City Council
- Dun Laoghaoire Rathdown County Council
- Fingal County Council
- Kerry County Council
- Kilkenny County Council
- Limerick County Council
- Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council
- Monaghan County Council
- Tipperary County Council
- Waterford City & County Council
- Wexford County Council