Malcolm Noonan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Green Party)
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Ireland's 4th National Biodiversity Action Plan (NBAP) 2023-2030 was published last week and sets out Ireland’s vision for biodiversity, that by 2050 “Biodiversity in Ireland is valued, conserved, restored and sustainably used, maintaining ecosystem services, sustaining a healthy planet and delivering benefits essential for all people”. The Plan strives for a “whole of government, whole of society” approach to the governance and conservation of biodiversity. The aim is to ensure that every citizen, community, business, local authority, semi-state and state agency has an awareness of biodiversity and its importance, and of the implications of its loss, while also understanding how they can act to address the biodiversity emergency as part of a renewed national effort to “act for nature”.

The Office of Public Works (OPW) has responsibility for the management of Castletown House and the surrounding state-owned parkland. The OPW Biodiversity Action Strategy 2022 – 2026 sets out the OPW’s intention for protecting, promoting and enhancing biodiversity across its operations. It identifies strategic actions to help to deliver Government policy, including through contribution to the delivery of the National Biodiversity Action Plan, and includes a case study of the biodiversity-friendly measures taken on meadows at Castletown House. Further information of the OPW’s Biodiversity Action Strategy 2022-2026 is available at:

www.gov.ie/en/publication/3c132-opw-biodiversity-action-strategy/