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The Minister of State for Heritage and Electoral Reform at the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Malcolm Noonan, has today (13 December) announced the new governance and structures for the National Biodiversity Data Centre as a company limited by guarantee (NBDC CLG). Minister Noonan also announced the new Chairperson and board of the NBDC CLG.
Commenting, Minister Noonan said:
“The Programme for Government committed to supporting biodiversity data collection, and at the UN Biodiversity Conference COP15 in Montreal this week, we’re hearing international calls for countries to ensure that biodiversity data is available and accessible to decision-makers, practitioners and the public. We also know from our own experience the enormous value that the citizen science initiatives the National Biodiversity Data Centre is so well known for can provide, both for nature and for people. This is why today’s announcement of the establishment of the NBDC as a company limited by guarantee (CLG) is so significant, in that it will be empowered and resourced to better support Ireland’s collective national effort to reverse biodiversity loss as we embark on a new era of restoration.”
The new company is subject to oversight by the Heritage Council and replaces the previous structure of a contract for services.
Minister Noonan added:
“I am delighted that John McCarthy has accepted the role of inaugural Chairperson of the Board of Directors of the NBDC CLG, As former Secretary General of the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government, his public service experience will be invaluable in establishing the company within the heritage infrastructure. I wish to thank him and the newly appointed board members, who will serve in a voluntary capacity. I also want to commend the determination of Martina Moloney and Virginia Teehan, Chairperson and CEO of the Heritage Council, and Niall O’Donnchu, Director General of the National Parks and Wildlife Service, whose work has been central to the establishment of the NBDC CLG. It was a complex challenge which was delivered on time and in budget, due in large part to their diligence and commitment.”
Originally established in 2006 as a programme of the Heritage Council to collect and manage data on Ireland’s biodiversity, the NBDC has grown in scope, including tracking invasive species, supporting pollinator programmes, compiling biodiversity data from multiple sources and making it freely available on-line, and engaging in citizen-science initiatives.
Having played a central role in this growth, the Heritage Council was well positioned to recognise the opportunities that a refocused NBDC could explore. It set in motion a lengthy and complex restructuring process culminating in today’s announcement which will see the country’s biodiversity needs better served by a more appropriate entity.
Inaugural Chairperson of the NBDC CLG Board of Directors John McCarthy said:
“I look forward to working with my fellow directors and with all colleagues in the NBDC to tackle head on the challenges that await. This is an exciting time for the NBDC and I am honoured to be able to play my part. The restructuring will enable the acceleration of our biodiversity recovery and we will work with a range of partners to fulfil our objectives. I am also grateful that the NBDC CLG will maintain the considerable expertise from the previous NBDC structure, and as the Board, we will do our best to support them.”
Chairperson of the Heritage Council, Dr Martina Moloney added:
“The incorporation of the National Biodiversity Data Centre as a company limited by guarantee (NBDC CLG) marks a very significant step change in how Ireland addresses biodiversity loss. Stemming biodiversity loss and recovering our biodiversity requires long-term planning, multi-annual resourcing and robust governance, which will be provided by the NBDC CLG.
“The challenge no longer lies only with our committed conservation community, but with every person, every community, and every sector in this State. Building on the Heritage Council’s record on nature protection insofar as it relates to national heritage, we believe the NBDC CLG provides the necessary independence, foundations, structure and flexibility to satisfy the national appetite to restore our biodiversity.”
Minister of State in the Department of Agriculture Food and the Marine, Senator Pippa Hackett expressed her commitment to this development of the National Biodiversity Data Centre:
“This will allow my department build on its existing relationship with the Centre and it will allow it to work also with my department to deliver biodiversity monitoring programmes on farmland, including for the Common Agriculture Policy”.
Commenting on the announcement, chief executive of the Heritage Council, Virginia Teehan said:
“Despite the biodiversity challenge, there is now a sense of optimism that we in Ireland can rise to this challenge. Nature sustains us. We, in turn, need to sustain it. The NBDC CLG will be up and running on 1 January 2023. For the first time, this will allow us implement a long-term sustainable strategy to address biodiversity loss.”
The National Biodiversity Data Centre (NBDC) was established in 2006 as a programme of the Heritage Council with the purpose of collecting and managing data on Ireland’s biodiversity. The NBDC is an important State resource, supporting ongoing monitoring and protection of the Island’s natural environment and its changes over time, providing data and information to Government, agencies, academics and the public.
An independent evaluation into the current governance arrangements supporting the NBDC was commissioned by the Heritage Council in 2019. Following the review, a Taskforce was set up to advise on the optimal scope, structure, and future governance for any successor to the current arrangements.
It concluded that the establishment of a CLG would provide the necessary independence, flexibility, and accountability to resolve many of the governance risks associated with the present structure.
In July 2022 the Cabinet approved a proposal made by Minister Darragh O’Brien to establish a CLG to deliver the services of the NBDC programme, within the following legal framework:
The directors will be responsible for setting out the company’s strategic plan, establishing and managing the company’s system of internal control, directing its resources, and ensuring compliance with the various legal and regulatory requirements which will apply to the company.
The members represent the interests of the relevant body nominating them in the oversight of the company, similar to the role that shareholders have in commercial companies.
Full list of appointees below.
The NBDC will continue to be based at its current headquarters on the campus of University of the South East in Waterford. The delivery of the NBDC programme is currently sub-contracted to Compass Informatics.
The new company will be led by Dr Liam Lysaght, CEO. The staff employed by Compass Informatics for the delivery of the programme will transition into the new Company.
John McCarthy is a former Secretary General of the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government (2014 – 2020) and has worked in a range of capacities across Government including the Department of Social Protection and the Department of Finance.
He currently holds a number of non-Executive positions, including serving as Chair of the Management Board of the National Directorate for Fire and Emergency Management and as a member of the Board of the Approved Housing Bodies Regulatory Authority.
Geraldine Tallon is a former Civil Servant, who worked in many different roles in the Department of Environment, Community and Local Government, retiring as Secretary General of the Department in 2014.
Since her retirement, she has undertaken a number of voluntary roles, including chairing the Taskforce on the future of the National Biodiversity Data Centre.
Colette Byrne is a former Chief Executive with Kilkenny County Council, having also served as Chief Executive in Offaly County Council. She has worked across all areas of Local Government services with urban and rural authorities and has a particular interest in provision of amenities, regeneration and repurposing of old buildings.
She has held many national roles and worked on behalf of the Local Authority Sector on the transition of water services to Irish Water in 2014.
Professor Yvonne Buckley is the Professor of Zoology at Trinity College Dublin, a Member of the Royal Irish Academy and Academia Europaea, an Irish Research Council Laureate and was awarded the British Ecological Society President’s medal (2021) and BES award (2022). She has highly cited papers in ecology, zoology, botany and agricultural sciences.
She is an ecologist with expertise in environmental decision making, natural capital management and population ecology. She co-directs Nature+, the Trinity Centre for Biodiversity and Sustainable Nature-based Solutions, and leads a team of researchers and students seeking to understand the fundamental drivers of animal and plant population processes in a rapidly changing world.
Dr James Moran is a senior lecturer in Biology and Ecology in the Department of Natural Resources and the Environment at the Atlantic Technological University, Galway where he teaches on environment and agriculture related programmes. He leads the Agro-ecology and Rural Development (ARD) research group.
James has worked in the applied ecology and agri-environmental management area for over 20 years as an advisor, researcher and academic, and concentrates on sustainable agricultural systems with a particular focus on the Common Agriculture Policy and improving agri-environment policy and practice.
Ciara Carberry is Director of Nature Conservation with the National Parks and Wildlife Service. A senior civil servant with extensive experience in policymaking, legislation and governance, Ciara holds primary and postgraduate degrees in Botany and Environmental Science from Trinity College Dublin.
Máire Ní Bhraonáin is CEO of the Acorn Project, a non-profit organisation delivering nature based learning and wellbeing programmes that empower communities to take action in ecological restoration through reconnection with their local wild spaces.
Máire is an educator, forest school practitioner, herbalist, wild food forager and forest therapy guide with a background in public engagement and sociology. She leads projects in community seed saving, forest school, nature connection and place-based learning programmes.
Micheál Lehane was appointed by Government as a Director with the Environmental Protection Agency in 2016 and is currently the Director for the EPA’s Office of Radiation Protection and Environmental Monitoring. Prior to being appointed Director he served in a range of senior leadership roles across the EPA and also in environmental protection & regulation in the UK.
Micheál is also the Chair of the Irish National Accreditation Board. He is a graduate of University College Cork with a PhD in Geology, holds an MBA from the University of Limerick and is a Chartered Director.
Ted Massey joined the Department of Agriculture in 2001. Since then, he has worked in a diverse range of areas within the department. His more recent work included involvement in the CAP reform negotiations as well as co-ordinating preparation of the environmental aspects of Ireland’s CAP Strategic Plan.
Earlier this year he took up his current position as Senior Inspector responsible for the department’s Nitrates and Biodiversity Division.
Dr. Colm Lordan manages the Integrated Fisheries and Ecosystems Advice section in the Marine Institute in Galway, Ireland. He has also worked with the International Council for the Exploration of the Seas (ICES) for over 25 years developing fisheries and marine ecosystem assessments and advice and was vice chair of their Advisory Committee (ACOM) between 2018 and 2021.
Colm works closely with several government departments and a range of stakeholders to communicate the advice and to ensure that the scientific advice, underpinning data and evidence address their needs.
Mary Gallagher is a retired public servant and biographer. A member of the Board of The Heritage Council from 2016-2020, she is currently a member of the Audit and Finance Committee of the Chester Beatty and a member of the Library and Archives Committee of the Royal Dublin Society.
Mary worked in IDA (1976-1994), Forbairt (1995-1998) and Enterprise Ireland, where she was Head of Corporate Governance and Secretary to the Board (1998-2007).
Niall Ó Donnchú is Director General of the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS).
Brendan Wall is a Senior Scientific Officer in the Environmental Protection Agency with over 20 years experience across different environmental areas. He is currently assigned to the Environment and Health Programme where he leads a team that covers Chemicals and Ecosystems Monitoring.
Previous roles in the EPA included managing the EPA State of the Environment Reports 2016 and 2020, Ireland’s National Focal Point for the European Environment Agency and a range of enforcement roles covering water protection areas.
Bill Callanan is Chief Inspector at the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM). He is responsible for the provision of advice on the practice of Agriculture and on Science and technology related to the agrifood sector within DAFM.
He is head of profession for the Agricultural Inspectorate, with over 250 graduates across the department, covering a wide range of graduate competencies and sits on the Management Board of the department.