Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 11 May 2022
60. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if his Department and public bodies and agencies that operate under his remit have policies in place to install artificial structures that provide shelter and habitat space for wild species such as, but not limited to, insect hotels, bat boxes, nesting towers and beehives; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23853/22]
View answerThe Department is dedicated to contributing positively towards the critically important climate action agenda. My Department has an active internal “Green Team” with over 30 staff spanning across the Department and its Offices, which include the Companies Registration Office, the Office of Director of Corporate Enforcement, the Intellectual Property Office of Ireland, the Labour Court and the Workplace Relations Commission.
In terms of the internal day-to-day Departmental operations, it is through the Green Team, with functional responsibility at Principal Officer level, that the Department acts to promote and encourage climate action awareness to all staff under the four pillars of energy reduction, water conservation, waste management and ecology/biodiversity. The Green Team produces a range of climate action information for staff which include webinars, expert speakers and advice for staff to support the climate agenda, both in the workplace and in staff’s homes and their local communities. It also runs an annual “Green Month” in support of various initiatives, the most recent one being held in April 2022.
However, as accommodation for my Department and its Offices is provided by the Office of Public Works (OPW) in eleven buildings across the country which are either State owned or leased by the OPW on our behalf, there are a range of factors that place some restrictions on the types of biodiversity projects that can feasibly be supported across our occupied buildings.
Typically, the Department and its Offices are in shared accommodation, either with other Government Departments, public bodies or the private sector. Therefore, the day-to-day operations across each building must be mindful of local fire regulations, national health and safety legislation, other tenants and the wishes of the local landlords in the buildings that are not State owned.
Nonetheless, specifically to encourage biodiversity, two beehives, with native Irish honeybees (Apis Mellifera) were installed on the roof of the Department’s headquarters at 23 Kildare Street, Dublin 2 in May 2021.
Other biodiversity projects supported by the Green Team in our O’Brien Road, Carlow location through their signing up to the All-Ireland Pollinator Plan included:
- Establishing a tomato garden;
- Reducing mowing of any grass areas;
- Wild flower sowing;
- Ceasing the use of insecticides on the grounds of the building
During April 2021 & 2022, the Green Team’s ‘Seed Capital Initiative’ provided seeds to staff to encourage planting at home and in their local communities.
We continue to actively engage directly with, and receive welcome advice from, the Department of Environment, Climate and Communications in relation to the development of a Departmental Climate Action Mandate for completion later in 2022. As part of this process we are exploring what new biodiversity initiatives, over and above those already implemented, that could feasibly be initiated over the period ahead.
