Meetings
Meeting: 5th - 6th November 2022
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