Ms Geraldine O'Sullivan:

There are some biological controls, particularly with the European spruce bark beetle, that are having some effect. They are kind of containing it and having some positive on that. That is working there. It is a Siberian predatory beetle. Obviously, the spruce bark beetle is not native to here or the UK so they do not have predators. There are biological controls that are working. What is happening mostly now within Europe and what is nearly recommended policy is to fell, particularly if there is any, because it can spread so quickly. The policy is changing and evolving. A lot of work has been done over the past number of years because of the devastation within European forestries to try to agree management strategies and look and take from the learnings of those experiences. However, I know that policy within Europe is felling and early harvesting of the timber.