COMHAIRLE CONTAE ÁTHA CLIATH THEAS
SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

MEETING OF SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

Monday, September 09, 2019

QUESTION NO. 43

QUESTION: Councillor William Priestley

Is SDCC signed up to the national pollinators plan (www.pollinators.ie) and, if not, how might this be best explored?

REPLY:

The following sets out a brief update on the Council’s initiatives in relation to the All Ireland Pollinator Plan and to actions and programmes that are being implemented as part of the Nature Based Solutions element of our recently adopted Climate Change Action Plan.

The Council is undertaking numerous projects, programmes and actions that benefit and support pollinators. These projects are supported by South Dublin County Councils Policies and Plans that incorporate biodiversity and pollinator supporting criteria. SDCC's County Development Plan has numerous policies and objectives which outline the Council’s commitment to biodiversity; in particular Chapter 8, Green Infrastructure, and Chapter 9, Heritage, Conservation, and Landscapes are particularly relevant. The Council also included actions from the National Pollinator Plan within our recently adopted Climate Change Action Plan (Please see actions listed under 'nature based solutions'). The Councils Heritage Plan also supports biodiversity and the Councils Tree Management Policy 'Living with Trees' puts the management of trees within a structure that supports the retention and expansion of the Councils tree canopy as well as encouraging the planting of native tree species.

It is intended to formally sign up for the All Ireland Pollinator Plan in October 2019 (after presentation to the EWCC SPC). South Dublin County Council has been to the forefront in implementing projects and initiatives that support biodiversity and pollinators and a number are outlined below; these are of varying scales which outlines the myriad of levels at which the council is taking action; many of these actions are in partnership with community groups, local resident associations and Tidy Towns Groups, as well as with the support and encouragement of elected members and Council Staff.

The main action undertaken by the Council that benefits pollinators involves a restructuring of mowing patterns and timings. South Dublin County Council have audited some of our wildflower meadows with insect surveys and these display a wide variety of insect life, in some cases quite rare species have been discovered (reference Tymon Park). In order to create the wildflower meadows, altered mowing regimes have been in place in a number of the Council’s larger parks for the benefit of pollinators and biodiversity for a number of years; commencing with 13 separate areas in Tymon Park totalling 18 ha and 3 areas along the Dodder Valley Park totalling 5 ha. These areas were chosen for their particular soil types, the nature of their botanical composition, and their contribution to the amenity enjoyment of these parks. In 2019 these areas of wild flower meadowland have been increased to 90 hectares; at various locations within our parks across the county. This has proven to be a popular and highly successful action; with orchids in the thousands being counted and much positive comment and feedback being received from members of the public. It is intended to carry out ecological surveys in 2020 in these meadows and evaluate our success to date in terms of supporting insects and wildlife. This will allow us to also evaluate other locations for this reduced mowing approach. These wildflower meadows are highly important for pollinators as a lot of the meadowland species are native or naturalised and support local pollinators. For instance; over many years the mowing regime in Tymon Park has supported an annual flowering of cowslips which is an early food source for insects.

South Dublin County Council has also implemented a maintenance regime to control Invasive Alien Species for the past 3 years; this innovative and proactive approach puts SDCC at the forefront of control of Invasive Alien Species. While this action is not within the pollinator plan it does support nature based actions to address Climate Change and is an important measure in supporting Ireland's' native ecology (which in turn supports pollinators).