Funding awarded to Mayo's Great Yellow Bumble Bee Conservation Group

THE Great Yellow Bumble Bee Conservation Group in Mayo has been awarded funding of €110,595.

The funding was announced by Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture, Senator Pippa Hackett, following an open call for initiatives that focus on the promotion of biodiversity through collaboration amongst farming groups, community and local action groups who engage with the wider population.

Twenty-four groups were chosen across the country to implement their projects over the next 18 months.

The Mullet Peninsula is home to Ireland’s rarest bee - the Great Yellow Bumblebee (Bombus distinguendus) - and is one of very few places in Europe with a sustainable population.

Said Senator Hackett: “I am very excited to see the wonderful projects that this call is going to fund. It is really positive to see the ideas so many small farm and community groups have come up with to impact positively on their own local environment.

“The response we got to the call proves there is huge concern about and interest in biodiversity in Ireland and I am delighted that in response to it I was able to make more funding available.”

Minister Hackett had originally allocated funding of €1.25 million to build on the locally led innovation partnership initiatives with community versions. However given the response, with 54 submissions, she increased the available budget to €3 million.