Pipistrelle bats are found worldwide ... these small nocturnal mammals primarily feed on flying insects like mosquitoes and moths. Merbecoviruses, a subgenus of betacoronaviruses, include MERS ...

The risk of contracting a serious disease from Irish bats remains negligible, while their ecological benefits, such as pest control are substantial. Flying Pipistrelle bat (Pipistrellus pipistrellus).

However, surveys have revealed that common pipistrelle bats, a protected species, live there. It means developers will have to take extra precautions to ensure the flying mammals are not harmed ...