The lawn at Leinster House is getting a bee-friendly make-over.

The Office of Public Works is to plant a new range of pollinator-friendly plants and introduce native wildflowers to bring the buzz back to the Government garden.

The plans will also see the introduction of bee boxes to attract the insects back.

The Minister of State with responsibility for the OPW, Kevin ‘Boxer’ Moran said the new lawn was inspired by the ‘All Ireland Pollinator Plan.’

"These proposed changes to the Leinster Lawn will enhance the recent restorations works to Leinster House while encouraging pollinators to flourish within the city," he said.

"Any changes that can be made, no matter how small, will help safeguard the future of these little wonders who are so entwined in our everyday life."

Dr Una Fitzpatrick, ecologist from the National Biodiversity Data Centre, said: “these actions will have significant positive impacts on our pollinators by providing them with food across their lifecycle.”

"By working together collectively, we can take steps to reverse pollinator losses and help restore populations to healthy levels," she said.

"We all have a responsibility to contribute to reversing the pollinator decline.

"It is not about letting the landscape go wild, but about managing it in a way that is sustainable for pollinators, so that they can survive and continue to provide us with their vital service."

Bee populations are in decline in many countries due to a loss of habitat and the increased use of pesticides.

There are around 100 species of bee in Ireland.

More than half of the country’s 19 bumblebee species are in decline.

Most of the other species are solitary and nearly half of those are also in decline.