Eugene Murphy (Roscommon-Galway, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I will not hold up the meeting too long. I was held up with other matters and I happened to follow part of the debate from my office. It is fantastic that we are discussing such important issues within the confines of these Houses. I have one or two short questions, which have probably been touched on so I will be happy with a short answer. I have a background in horticulture so I know a little about how important this debate about bees is. It is disturbing that so many people still laugh when one talks about the importance of the bee for human beings. This is a significant problem. We often see environmental advertisements about different matters. What about an awareness campaign on television, radio and social media about getting serious about the importance of the bee, particularly the bumblebee?

Mr. Walsh referred to the black and amber. I live in Strokestown and we have black and amber there as well. Young people are great, the schools are fantastic and the teachers are good in the schools but there is a problem with large parts of society who laugh at this and think it is airy-fairy stuff that we are discussing. I am talking about awareness. How does the Federation of Irish Beekeepers Associations think we could improve it? If we could we get the relevant Department to fund an awareness campaign, would that be a good idea?