Ambitious new All-Ireland Pollinator Plan aims to create ‘pockets for nature every 200 metres’ - Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs

A new five-year plan brings together communities, farmers, businesses, and public bodies to create a more biodiversity-rich landscape.

The new All-Ireland Pollinator Plan 2026-2030 was launched today [9 July] at the National Botanic Gardens, 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 All-Ireland Pollinator Plan is a voluntary framework coordinated 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 Pollinator Plan is supported through funding from the Government of Ireland’s Shared Island Fund, the National Parks and Wildlife Service, the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, and the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (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. 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.”