We are pleased to release the summer 2024 issue of Biodiversity Ireland. Biodiversity Ireland provides an update on some of the work of the National Biodiversity Data Centre and highlights recording and biodiversity survey work of some of our partners. Features in this issue include the Centre’s five-year Strategic Plan, the establishment of a new Invasive Alien Species within the Centre to help support the EU Invasive Species Regulations, work completed to create a new database on Ireland’s ants, and an update on the biodiversity recording activity of the recorder network in 2023.
Message from Liam Lysaght CEO
It is now almost a year and a half since the future of the National Biodiversity Data Centre was secured following its establishment as a Company Limited by Guarantee. This was a huge development in the evolution of the National Biodiversity Data Centre; a recognition by Government that the Centre was providing a range of valuable services that needed to be secured and strengthened in order to assist the State meet many of its obligations around the conservation of biological diversity.
The continued delivery of the Centre’s work programmes since the company’s incorporation gave the outward appearance of business as usual. This was an important consideration to retain the confidence of the Centre’s many partners and its recording community. Nevertheless, a great deal of work has being going on in the background, which now puts the Centre in a very strong position for future growth.
Within the first year, the Board and the staff have worked on developing its Strategic Plan for the next five years. This sets out the Centre’s vision, mission and identifies the values that will underpin the new company’s work. Six values are identified, namely; 1. evidence, 2. innovation, 3. collaboration, 4. equality, diversity & inclusion, 5. professional integrity and 6. sustainability. Those who have engaged with the Centre over the years will recognise these values as already being core to how we have conducted our business. Details of the objectives and goals we have identified for ourselves are outlined later in this newsletter.
Having a clear framework for guiding the work of the Centre over the next few years will be central to its success. The national data and information needs are great, yet the Centre needs to focus on its remit and what is feasible to achieve over a five-year period. The Strategic Plan provides that framework.
The Centre has also agreed a new organisational structure, best suited to allow it to deliver on the work that it will do. Three senior managers have been appointed, Dr Úna FitzPatrick, Richard Tilson and Jon Hawkins to lead up the three pillars of the company’s work, namely its scientific, governance & finance and ICT pillars respectively. The remainder of the staff will be structured around operational units dealing with different thematic work programmes. Thanks to funding received under the Shared Island Initiative, the first of these units, delivering a programme of work around Invasive Alien Species, is in the process of being established. Currently, the Centre is experiencing an expansion phase with the staff complement growing from 12 at the beginning of 2024, to 21 by mid-summer. This augurs well for the Centre.
Additionally, the Fourth National Biodiversity Action Plan which was published earlier this year, has identified the Centre as leading on the delivery of a number of key strategic actions. The recent work done on developing the governance and management structures of the new company means the National Biodiversity Data Centre is now well placed to deliver on these and other future programmes of work.