MINISTER OF STATE for Heritage and Electoral Reform, Malcolm Noonan TD, has welcomed the publication of the first Species Action Plan for the lesser horseshoe bat, one of Ireland’s nine bat species.

The aim of the plan is to guide, inform and provide structure for the conservation management of this species over the next five years.

It provides targets for the coordinated conservation efforts of all stakeholders-  Government departments and agencies, local authorities and NGOs.

“The lesser horseshoe bat is a charismatic little mammal. It’s the only bat species in Ireland to live up to its stereotype of hanging freely by its feet and wrapping its wings around its body,” Noonan said.

“Today’s publication of this Species Action Plan and its collaborative, pragmatic approach is a positive step forward for the conservation of this unique bat, and I warmly welcome it.”

The Lesser horseshoe bat is one of nine bat species found in Ireland, but unlike the other eight species the lesser horseshoe has a very limited distribution.

It has an estimated population of 12,790 and is confined to the six western counties; from south Mayo down to west Cork.

A lesser horsehoe bat in flight Vincent Wildlife Trust. Vincent Wildlife Trust.

The species’ population is growing but its range is getting smaller due to intense agriculture.

National Parks and Wildlife Service rangers monitor the main summer and winter roosts for this species every year.

Site specific actions in the plan will include repairing roofs and windows of existing roosts, grilling caves to prevent trespass, building new night roosts where needed and installing predator proofing to keep out cats and pine martens.

Roosts of the lesser horseshoe bat Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage

Another measure will seek to implement a landscape plan with groups of landowners to retain or create connectivity on a scale that provides a network of sites that link foraging areas of the bats.

This would prevent one local group of bats being separated from the rest of the population and losing genetic diversity.

The growing gap between occupied roosts in Kerry and in Limerick is of particular concern to stakeholders.

Worries about habitat loss and landscape connectivity led to an ‘unfavourable inadequate’ assessment of the lesser horseshoe bat’s conservation status in the most recent Article 17 report to EU Commission.

A steering group to initiate implementation of the plan, and to monitor and coordinate the delivery of listed actions, will meet in September.

One of the action plan partners is The Vincent Wildlife Trust which manages a dozen bat reserves in Ireland specifically for the lesser horseshoe bat.