Irish pollinator plan aims to create nature pockets every 200 metres
The new All-Ireland Pollinator Plan 2026-2030 was launched at the National Botanic Gardens in Dublin by Andrew Muir, minister of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs, Northern Ireland (left) and the minister for Nature, Heritage and Biodiversity, Christopher O’Sullivan (right) along with Dr Úna FitzPatrick (centre), co-founder of the All-Ireland Pollinator Plan and chief scientific officer at the National Biodiversity Data Centre.
Farmers, businesses, and public bodies are being brought together via a five-year plan to create more biodiversity-rich landscapes across the country.
The new All-Ireland Pollinator Plan 2026-2030 was launched on July 9 at the National Botanic Gardens in Dublin by Andrew Muir MLA, minister for the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA), and Christopher O’Sullivan, Ireland’s minister of state at the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage.
The Pollinator Plan is a voluntary framework co-ordinated by the National Biodiversity Data Centre and supported by a wide network of partner organisations across both jurisdictions, with the Northern Ireland Environment Agency leading in Northern Ireland.
This 2026-2030 phase of the plan is supported through funding from the Government of Ireland’s Shared Island Fund, the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS), the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM), and DAERA.
In his launch address, DAERA minister Andrew Muir said: “Bees, butterflies and our other pollinators are the unsung heroes of our environment, playing a fundamental role across our ecosystems. The All-Ireland Pollinator Plan provides a clear, practical framework to support these busy bugs in enabling nature recovery.
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"By working together, across all landscapes, it is possible to restore pollinator populations and create an island that is richer in biodiversity, more resilient to climate change, and better for people and nature alike.”
Wild pollinators, including over 100 wild bee species, are in decline due to habitat loss, climate change, and pollution. One-third of bee species on the island of Ireland are at risk of extinction, making addressing pollinator decline both an ecological necessity and a societal priority.
The vision of the Pollinator Plan is a simple but ambitious one: to create a landscape that provides food and shelter every 200 metres, where pollinators can survive and thrive.
This mission reflects how important solitary bees are and how they can only travel these short distances from their nest sites to find food. Achieving this vision will require co-ordinated action across all land types, supported by strong partnerships and public engagement.
Head of Natural Science in the Northern Ireland Environment Agency (NIEA), Dr Sara McGuckin, said: “Halting and reversing pollinator species' decline is essential to securing healthy, resilient ecosystems and sustainable food systems.
"NIEA is delighted to continue our strong partnership through the All-Ireland Pollinator Plan to 2030. By strengthening our monitoring of pollinators, we can develop a better understanding of what our rare and threatened species need and track recovery of pollinator populations across Ireland.”
