Paul Murphy
A new Meath biodiversity action plan for 2025 to 2030 is nearing completion and on Monday this week local councillors were given an update on its progress at the monthly council meeting at Buvinda House. A draft plan has been produced by the council with the support of the Biodiversity Working Group of the Meath Heritage Forum. It sets out a statement of intent by the council in relation to the natural heritage and biodiversity of the county over the next six years. Each local authority in the council is expected to have a biodiversity action plan in place by the end of next year. Meath County Council started the process last year and expects to have its own plan in place by the end of this year.
The plan has already been through the council’s corporate policy group and strategic policy committee and has had extensive public consultation. Council Biodiversity Officer Ben Malone told the councillors that there had been consultation groups, sectoral groups, environmentalists, community grass roots. A pre-draft public consultation submission report had been produced. One hundred and fifty submissions had been made. A Co Meath biodiversity audit had also been carried out in conjunction with the National parks and Wildlife Service and that made a number of recommendations. Seven sessions of the biodiversity working group had been held last year and a number this year. Fifty four “actions” were included in the biodiversity action plan and these were grouped under broad objectives.
Independent Cllr Noel French welcomed the fourth Meath County Council biodiversity plan. He was glad to see that the Heritage Council had introduced a tree management plan. Meath had had problems with falling trees. The storm earlier this year had sown up the poor maintenance of vegetation around power lines. Homes and businesses had been left without power because of fallen trees. A tree management programme for farmers and landowners would be welcome, he said.
Tress were a key strategy in climate change mitigation. “We in Meath County Council need to integrate tree planting into our urban development and also into our existing settlements. There were often complaints from settled residential estates about problems caused by trees that were unsuitable for planting in the first place, he said.
Social Democrat Cllr Ronan Moore thanked biodiversity officer Ben Malone and the team for their work so far. The implementation part of the biodiversity plan was going to be vital, he said The county already had biodiversity protection through national policies and the council’s own action. Independent Cllr David Gilroy congratulated the biodiversity officer and the team on their work on the plan. Fine Gael Cllr Gerry O’Connor described the plan as “a great piece of work.”
