Dr. Liam Lysaght
Centre Director
Record biodiversity
Submit your records or view record statistics on Ireland’s Citizen Science Portal
Biodiversity data are a key requirement for understanding our natural surroundings, for tracking change in our environment and for gaining a greater insight on how we benefit from, and impact upon, the ecosystem goods and services provided by biological diversity; a national asset which contributes at least €2.6 billion to the Irish economy each year. The National Biodiversity Data Centre was established by the Heritage Council in 2007 and is funded by the Heritage Council and the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage. The Data Centre is operated under a service level agreement by Compass Informatics Limited, an information and location technologies company focused on applications in natural resources and planning.
For an overview of the role and work of the National Biodiversity Data Centre please download the Introduction to the National Biodiversity Data Centre.
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. The full-time staff are supported by a team of developers, employed by Compass Informatics, who are responsible for development of the Centre’s data management and web mapping system.
Dr. Úna FitzPatrick
Senior Ecologist
Colette O’Flynn
Invasive Species Officer
Niamh Phelan
Biodiversity Engagement Officer
Dave Wall
Citizen Science Officer
Dr. Saorla Kavanagh
Project Manager
Dr. Michelle Judge
Data Manager
Oisín Duffy
Surveys and Records Officer
Ruth Wilson
Farmland Pollinator Officer
Dr. Michelle Larkin
National Pollinator Monitoring Scheme Officer
Sarah Kelly
Agri Business Officer
Martina O’Brien
Invasive Species Engagement Officer
Owen Beckett
Research Officer
Management Advisory Board
The Heritage Council established a Management Advisory Board to advise on scientific, technical and policy aspects of the work of the Data Centre, and to assist with the planning and delivery of core activities. It meets on a quarterly basis and reports annually to the Heritage Council.
Dr. Andy Bleasdale
Grade 1 in Scientific Unit at National Parks and Wildlife
Bernadette Guest
Heritage Office, Waterford County Counci
Declan Quigley
Senior Port Officer with the Sea-Fisheries Protection Authority
Jack Nolan
Senior Inspector at the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine
Dr. Matthew Jebb
Director of the National Botanic Gardens of Ireland
Dr. Micheál Lehane
Director of the Environmental Protection Agency
Paolo Viscardi
Assistant Keeper at the National Museum of Ireland
Dr. Peter McLoughlin
Head of School of Science and Computing Department, WIT
Virginia Teehan
Chief Executive at The Heritage Council
Rachel Kenny
Director of Planning of An Bord Pleanála
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.