Mr. Barry Delany:

I thank the Deputies and Senators for inviting us here today to speak on the threat of bark beetles to Irish forests and how it aligns with Ireland's plant health policy generally.

Promoting and safeguarding plant health is a key strategic principle of the plant health and biosecurity strategy for the period 2020 to 2025. The strategy is underpinned by three key strategic principles: risk anticipation, surveillance and awareness. It sets out the importance of plant health and biosecurity for Ireland as well as ensuring that all relevant stakeholders are aware of the risks to plant health in Ireland and their role and responsibilities to reduce that risk. A mid-term review of the strategy was published in December 2022.

Ireland is recognised as having a favourable plant health status. It has the highest number of protected zones in the EU, with 23 pests and diseases listed. A protected zone is a region in which a harmful organism that has established in one or more parts of the EU is not present.

Ireland is a contracting party of the International Plant Protection Convention of the United Nations and an active member of the European and Mediterranean Plant Protection Organization. It is co-operating with countries around the world to develop global standards to protect plants within trade.

The trade and movement of plants and plant products into and within the EU is governed by the EU Plant Health Regulation and the official controls regulations. These regulations harmonise the rules on the introduction of plants and plant products to the EU from countries outside the EU and the movement of plants and plant products within the EU. The EU plant health regulatory framework focuses particularly on the prevention of the entry or spread of plant pests within the EU territory. It sets out detailed rules for the early detection and eradication of Union quarantine pests if found present in the EU territory.

Within the EU, Ireland is a member of the Standing Committee on Plants, Animals, Food and Feed, SCOPAFF. This committee, in addition to doing other duties, plays a key role in ensuring that EU measures on plant health are practical and effective.

Ireland relies on trade as a principal source of economic growth, yet plant pests know no borders, and trade can facilitate the introduction and spread of plant pests. It is critical, therefore, that trade be facilitated in a way that minimises phytosanitary risks.

Specifically concerning bark beetles, Ireland has several native bark beetle species associated with coniferous tree species. These do not cause significant damage and are not a cause of concern. There are several European bark beetle species of concern that are not currently present in Ireland. Within EU legislation, Ireland has protected zone status for the six European bark beetle species, recognising Ireland's freedom from these species currently and granting special protection against their potential introduction.

There is a very wide range of non-European bark beetles named within EU legislation. As the members heard earlier, the Department announced in December the first findings in Ireland of Pseudips mexicanus,known as the Monterey pine engraver, in an area near Cratloe in County Clare. The beetles were found in bark beetle traps, which have been used for many years as part of the Department's annual bark beetle surveys. No findings have been made in trees. This beetle is not thought to be a pest of economic significance for Ireland and its finding will not affect the movement of Irish spruce logs and timber from other non-pine species.

Coniferous roundwood is both imported into and exported from Ireland by Irish industry. All imports into Ireland must be compliant with the EU plant health regulation and importers must be registered as professional operators. Similarly, any action Ireland takes in response to threats from pests must also be compliant with EU plant health regulations and the International Plant Protection Convention.

Importers in Ireland are prohibited from importing roundwood from areas known to be affected by quarantine bark beetle species. The only area internationally from where imports to Ireland of coniferous roundwood with bark is permitted is a specific UK Government authority assigned pest-free area in the west of Scotland. There have been no findings of spruce bark beetles within the pest-free area. To maintain the pest-free area, the Scottish authorities carry out regular surveys for the beetles. These include site inspections for timber due to be traded to the island of Ireland, pheromone lures located at timber handling sites, billet or pheromone traps located in and around the PFA, and biannual aerial surveys.

Imports of roundwood logs from this pest-free area in Scotland are subject to an inspection regime. This involves documentary, identity and plant health physical checks at the port. All imports from the pest-free area must be accompanied by a phytosanitary certificate, which is issued by the UK Government authority in accordance with the International Plant Protection Convention, to attest that the logs meet the phytosanitary import requirements of Ireland and the EU and are in conformity with the certifying statement.

In addition, and to support the proof of origin of the roundwood from within the pest-free area, phytosanitary certificates provide identification of the specific forest location from which the roundwood is sourced. All documents associated with roundwood imports are inspected to verify the phytosanitary import requirements for the protected zone of Ireland are satisfied. Inspections at the port involve sampling of logs from the shipment in accordance with a standard operational procedure. A sample of logs from various parts of the ship are brought to a safe examination area and are visually examined. Any beetles found are identified and any beetles found to date are beetles that are already present in Ireland and not of quarantine significance. There are three ports where roundwood logs are imported into Ireland, namely those at Rushbrooke, Passage West in County Cork, and Wicklow. These three ports are designated border control posts for roundwood logs where inspection facilities have been put in place.

As long as the Scottish authorities are in position to continue to demonstrate the area from which logs are being sourced is free from harmful organisms, the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine is bound to recognise this area's freedom under the phytosanitary trading rules of the World Trade Organization and application of sanitary and phytosanitary, SPS, measures. The Department has been engaging and will continue to engage directly with Scottish forestry authorities, Northern Ireland and the European Commission to ensure the pest-free status of the island of Ireland is maintained.