Kilkenny abuzz as council signs up to bee-friendly Pollinator Plan

Kilkenny has become the first local authority in Ireland to officially partner with All-Ireland Pollinator Plan, leading the way in ‘pollinator protection’.

Cathaoirleach of Kilkenny County Council Eamon Aylward and Chief Executive Colette Byrne this week signed a framework agreement with the All-Ireland Pollinator Plan to formalise the council’s long term commitment to support pollinators in Kilkenny.

Signing the document means Kilkenny agrees to support the ethos of the All-Ireland Pollinator Plan; to consider the plan in their policies, plans, and management decisions where possible; 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.

“We are delighted to be the first local authority in the country to sign up to the Pollinator Plan,” said Cllr Aylward.

“Last summer, the council adopted the garden bumblee as our emblem, so this agreement is an obvious next step for us.”

The 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 — but many pollinators are now threatened with extinction.

“There’s huge interest from the public in pollinators and an awareness that we have to take action now,” said Dearbhala Ledwidge, Heritage Officer with Kilkenny County Council .

The strength of the Pollinator Plan is its evidence-based guidelines which give clear advice on how each sector can improve their land for pollinators – for instance, by reducing grass mowing, allowing hedgerows to bloom, planting pollinator-friendly plants or reducing use of pesticides. The plan also improves the landscape for biodiversity generally across the island

Chief Executive Colette Byrne said it was a long game, but one the council was happy to commit to.

“There isn’t an instant solution to the decline of the bees, but as a local authority we can play a small but important role in helping them,” she said.

“We’ll start by looking at the services we provide such as public parks, road maintenance, and community grants and supports, to see what actions we can take which will help pollinators."