Monaghan County Council has adopted a new strategic biodiversity and
heritage plan for 2020 to 2025.
The plan will tackle biodiversity loss and ensure there are functioning
eco-systems within County Monaghan.
A third of bee species in Ireland are threatened with extinction and this
biodiversity strategy will aim to address this and other problems.
However, some councillors were critical of this part of the strategy.
The biodiversity strategy will "accelerate and intensify efforts to halt
biodiversity loss" but Councillor Paudge Connelly said "allowing green areas
to go wild did not go well".
He also claimed that he "didn't hear any positive feedback" from the
All-Ireland Pollinator Plan which was adopted last year as part of an effort
to increase biodiversity.
He asked if there were any alternatives to using green areas within towns
and if it were possible to set aside land for this purpose instead.
Noel Keelan also raised the issue of overgrown hedges and said road safety
must take precedence over biodiversity.
Shirley Clerkin, Monaghan's Heritage Officer, said the covid-19 pandemic has
impacted upon the management of the green areas.
She added that there is "more than ample provision" for hedge cutting where
road safety requires it.
Director of Services, Adge King, also commented that a working group has
been established which is looking at a master plan and a programme of
action.
