1991 - 2006. EUROBATS celebrates its 15th anniversary

60
EUROBATS Publication Series No 1 Countries
launched in the capital city in 1989 by inter-
ested amateur naturalists. Ireland signed
the EUROBATS Agreements in June 1993
and became fully ratified members two
years later in June 199 .
Since then the interest in bats has blossomed.
The changing face of bat conservation
in the UK had a beneficial effect on the
Irish bat scene and the UK Bat Conservation
Trust (BCT) was (and is) supportive of
new initiatives to raise awareness of bats
and educate the public in Ireland. Providing
various resources to the emerging Irish
bat groups, BCT lent speakers for detector
workshops and educational material for
roost owners and schools etc.
Various interested Parties have come
to the fore in the conservation of Irish bats
over the past 1 years, in particular, The Vincent
Wildlife Trust (VWT) the National Parks
and Wildlife Service (NPWS), Bat Conservation
Ireland (BCIreland), the Heritage Council
and bat groups and universities.
The VWT has devoted much funding
towards surveys for the lesser horseshoe
bat throughout its known distribution area
in the west of Ireland. It has subsequently
purchased or leased 13 Irish properties
which have been renovated and are managed
as bat reserves. These 13 reserves now
contain c. 23% of the known Irish lesser
horseshoe bat population.
The Heritage Council, a state body, has
been instrumental in initiating bat monitoring
in Ireland. They have also purchased
the largest lesser horseshoe bat roost in the
country, with 400+ bats present.
The National Parks & Wildlife Service,
part of the Department of the Environment,
Heritage & Local Government (DEHLG), manages
the Irish State’s nature conservation
responsibilities
under National
and European
law. NPWS represent
Ireland
at EUROBATS
MoPs and AC
m e e t i n g s .
NPWS is also
charged with
the conservation
of a range Squares being surveyed in
of ecosystems the All-Ireland Car Transect
and populati- Bat Monitoring Project.
ons of flora and
fauna in Ireland.
A particular responsibility of NPWS is the
designation and protection of Special Areas
of Conservation (SACs); 41 of these have
been designated for the lesser horseshoe
bat, the only Annex II bat species found in
Ireland. NPWS are directly involved in bat
conservation through survey, monitoring
and site protection. Much recent effort has
centred on the development of a coordinated
National Bat Monitoring Programme.
From 2006 NPWS will work with its sister
organisation in Northern Ireland (the Environment
and Heritage Service) to ensure
that future bat monitoring will be conducted
on an all-island, cross-border basis.
The importance of BCIreland
BCIreland is a non-governmental organisation
and was launched in 2004 as an umbrella
organisation for the country’s bat
groups. BCIreland’s main aim is the conservation
of bats and their habitats in Ireland.
This is achieved through education, monitoring,
research and site protection. Its Educational
Programme includes: The Batline