Meetings

Citizens’ Assembly on Biodiversity Loss

Meeting: 5 – 6 November 2022

Programme for Saturday 5 November

08:00 am Registration, coffee

8:45 am Members introduce themselves at their roundtables

09:00 am Opening Session

Introduction by the Chairperson, Dr Aoibhinn Ní Shúilleabháin

….

Session One

Freshwater – From the Mountains to the Sea

9:05 am High-level Overview – Water Quality and Biodiversity Pressures in Ireland’s Freshwaters

Prof. Mary Kelly Quinn, Associate Professors, School of Biology and Environmental Science, UCD [Presentation]

09:20 am Freshwater catchments in Ireland – Issues & Challenges

Donal Daly, Catchment Scientist and Hydrologist (former EPA) [Presentation]

09:30 am Local Catchment Assessment in Ireland – Findings and Actions to Reverse Declines – Dr Bernadette White [Presentation]

09:40 am Roundtable discussion

10: 00 am Questions and Answers session

Session Two

Voices from the Community (catchment management and community taking ownership)

10:15 am Cloghaneely Anglers Catchment Plan – Colm Gallagher, Chairman [Presentation]

National Group Water Scheme – Barry Deane, Chief Executive Officer [Presentation]

Rivers Trust (Inishowen Rivers Trust) – Trish Murphy, Project Officer [Presentation]

Sustainable Water Network (SWAN) – Bernadette Connolly  [Presentation]

10:35 am Roundtable discussion

10:55 am Questions and Answers session

11:10 am Coffee

11:25 am Overview of Invasive species and freshwater.

Ian Montgomery, Prof. of Animal Ecology, Queens University Belfast, member of the Expert Advisory Group [Presentation]

11: 35am  Cross-over talk. Freshwater fish in Ireland – how to protect & restore biodiversity – Dr Ken Whelan, Fisheries Scientist  [Presentation] 

11: 45am Roundtable discussion

12: 05pm Questions and Answers session

12: 30 Children & Young People’s Assembly present on their work and their recommendations

13:00 Lunch

Marine & Marine Environments

14: 00 High-level overview – broader marine biodiversity current status and potential measures.

Richard Cronin, Chief Policy Advisor for the Marine Environment, Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage [Presentation] 

14: 15 Biodiversity in our Ocean – A scientific perspective. Dr Ciaran Kelly, Director of Fisheries Ecosystems Advisory Services, the Marine

Institute. [Presentation] 

14: 25 Roundtable discussion

14: 45 Questions and Answers session

15:00 Voices from the Community & Sectors

Killybegs Fishermen’s Organisation – Sean O’Donoghue. [Presentation] 

Fair Seas Campaign – NGO coalition – Dr Donal Griffin, Policy Officer. [Presentation] 

Irish Whale and Dolphin Group – Dr Simon Berrow, lecturer in ATU

15:25 Roundtable discussion

15:45 Questions and Answers session

16:00 Coffee

 Industry. Energy production and biodiversity

16: 15 Climate Change Projects and Biodiversity

Prof. Jane Stout, Professor of Botany, Trinity College Dublin. [Presentation] 

Voices from the Sector

Local Power Ltd – Pat Smith, Managing Director

Simply Blue Energy Group – Dr Val Cummins, Operations & Projects Director

16: 40Roundtable discussion

17: 00 Questions and Answers session

17: 15Reflections on the first weekend in September

17: 55 Irish language and Mythology as primers for sustainable living.

Manchán Magan, Writer and Documentary Maker

18:10

End

…

Sunday 6th November

Opening Session

09:05 am The Citizens’ Assembly process and plenary feedback session from yesterday’s roundtable discussions.

Art O’Leary, Secretary to the Citizens’ Assembly

09: 10 Replies to members’ questions on Agriculture – Dr James Moran, Senior Lecturer in Ecology, ATU, member of the EAG

Urban Environment and Infrastructure

09:20 High-level overview – Planning and Biodiversity in our Urban/Built-Up Areas. Dr Michael Lennon, Associate Professor of Planning and Environmental Policy, University College Dublin. [Presenation] 

09: 45 Nature-based solutions in urban environments, biodiversity & human perspective Dr Marcus Collier, Associate Professor of Sustainability Science in the School of Natural Sciences in Trinity College Dublin [Presentation]

09:55 A Green Future in Utrecht. Jeroen Schenkels, Green Advisor, City of Utrecht, Netherlands [Presentation]

10: 05 Roundtable discussions

10: 25 Questions and Answers session

10:40 Coffee

Voices from the Community

11: 00 – GLAS Community garden Ballymun – Hans Zomer, CEO, Global Action Plan. [Presentation]

 

Cork Urban Biodiversity study – Dr Paul Holloway, Geographic Information Systems and Spatial Ecology, University College Cork [Presentation]

Birdwatch Swift Project – Ricky Whelan, Project Officer [Presentation]

11:20 Questions and Answers session

11: 35 Summary of October meeting, and Roundtable review – where are we?

12: 45 Complete evaluation forms

12: 45 Conclusion