John McCarthy
Chairperson - Heritage Council Nominee
Record biodiversity
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Following a decision of Government, the National Biodiversity Data Centre was established as a Company Limited by Guarantee in December 2022. Minister of State Malcolm Noonan T.D. made the announcement coinciding with his attendance at the COP 15 of the Convention on Biological Diversity. Minister Noonan also announced membership of the Board of Directors, with John McCarthy a former Secretary General of the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government, appointed as Chairperson of the Board. The National Biodiversity Data Centre is subject to oversight by the Heritage Council. In November 2025 the National Biodiversity Data Centre became a registered charity.
The main role of the National Biodiversity Data Centre, as set out in its constitution is, to acquire, collate, manage, validate and make available, data in respect of Ireland’s biodiversity in order to document wildlife resources and monitor and record changes over time, in so doing, support national initiatives to maintain and enhance biodiversity, including recording of species and habitat information relating to the terrestrial, freshwater, marine, rivers and wetland environments.
Board of Directors
Ciara Carbery
Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage Nominee
Dr. Colm Lordan
Department of Agriculture, Food, and the Marine Nominee
James Moran
Heritage Council Nominee
Maura Brennan
Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage Nominee
Dr. Micheál Lehane
Department of the Environment, Climate Change, and Communications Nominee
Professor Yvonne Buckley
Heritage Council Nominee
Colette Byrne
Heritage Council Nominee
Tom Medlycott
Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine Nominee
Professor Willie Donnelly
Heritage Council Nominee
Staff
The Centre’s staff are responsible for the development and delivery of a work programme to meet the strategic objectives identified by the Management Board. Staff are also responsible for the day to day running of the Centre at Beechfield House.
Dr Liam Lysaght
Chief Executive Officer
Dr Úna FitzPatrick
Chief Scientific Officer
Richard Tilson
Chief Operating Officer
Jon Hawkins
Head of Digital Services
Dr Michelle Judge
Data Manager and GBIF Node Manager
Oisín Duffy
Surveys and Records Officer
Irene Kilbride
Office and Corporate Support Officer
John Kelly
Invasive Species Programme Manager
Colette O’Flynn
Invasive Species Officer
Victoria Poppleton
Marine Invasive Species Officer
Dr Ann Haigh
Invasive Species Risk Analysis and Contingency Officer
Kate Moore
Invasive Species Engagement Officer
Rachel Hayden
Training and Engagement Officer
Ruth Wilson
Farmland Pollinator Officer
Dr Michelle Larkin
National Pollinator Monitoring Scheme Officer
Sarah Kelly
Agri-business Officer
Kate Chandler
Pollinator Plan Communities and Engagement Officer
Owen Beckett
National Insect Database Officer
Dr Tim Butter
Farmer Moth Monitoring Scheme Officer
Dave Wall
Marine Biodiversity Programme Manager
Patrick McQuinn
Pollinator Monitoring Research Assistant
Ritchie Hindley
ICT & Systems Administrator
Chantel Carr
Shared Island Biosecurity & Citizen Science Officer
Paul Brett
Invasive Species Pathways Action Plan Officer
Aaron Skehan
Local Authority Biodiversity Data Liaison Officer
Members of the National Biodiversity Data Centre
Bill Callanan
Department of Agriculture, Food, and the Marine Nominee
Brendan Wall
Department of the Environment, Climate Change, and Communications Nominee
Niall Ó Donnchú
Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage Nominee
Mary Gallagher
Heritage Council Nominee
Partners
The National Biodiversity Data Centre could not deliver its extensive work programme, nor could it achieve the progress it has done in terms of promoting biodiversity recording without the strong support it has received from its partners. Some of the key partners are listed below.
State Bodies
Local Authorities
Non-Governmental Organisations
East Cork Biodiversity Networking Programme
