Bat Monitoring Programme 2022-2027

Tender description

All bat species are protected under Irish and EU law. The EU Habitats Directive [92/43/EEC] further requires all Member States to undertake surveillance of annexed species [see Article 11 of the Directive]. NPWS is committed to implementing a robust national monitoring programme for all bat species. We have built up an Irish Bat Monitoring Programme over the last 18 years, with four separate schemes established: a) the car transect monitoring The new contract will follow the same approach entailing the co-ordination and management of the four established bat monitoring schemes plus the gathering of data to inform conservation assessments for seven of Ireland’s nine bat species. Survey continuity from the current monitoring schemes will be a priority, with the new contract to commence in early summer 2022 and cover five (5) full seasons, reporting out in spring 2027. Lot 1: The National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS), part of Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage (DHLGH), provides the legislative and policy framework for the conservation of nature and biodiversity in the Republic of Ireland. It also oversees its implementation, based on good science, with particular emphasis on the protection of habitats and species. All bat species are protected under Irish and EU law. The EU Habitats Directive [92/43/EEC] further requires all Member States to undertake surveillance of annexed species [see Article 11 of the Directive]. NPWS is committed to implementing a robust national monitoring programme for all bat species. We have built up an Irish Bat Monitoring Programme over the last 18 years, with four separate schemes established: a) the car transect monitoring scheme; b) the waterways bat monitoring scheme; c) the brown long-eared bat monitoring scheme and d) the lesser horseshoe bat monitoring scheme. More recently these four projects have been run together under one National Bat Monitoring contract. The new contract will follow the same approach entailing the co-ordination and management of the four established bat monitoring schemes plus the gathering of data to inform conservation assessments for seven of Ireland’s nine bat species. Survey continuity from the current monitoring schemes will be a priority, with the new contract to commence in early summer 2022 and cover five (5) full seasons, reporting out in spring 2027. See RfT Document