David Stanton (Cork East, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister of State for his response and acknowledge the work that is going on here. While he said the ant has not been found in the wild in temperate climates such as ours, it has actually been found in Finland, Spain and the UK. It has been found in imported soil and dealt with but the risk is still there and we have to be extremely vigilant. As I said earlier, Japanese knotweed was something that we knew nothing about until recently. It came in to the country as an ornamental plant but it spread very quickly. It is only in recent times that action has been taken to get rid of it and it is proving to be very challenging. The same will apply with this particular species of ant as well as to other species, as outlined by the Minister of State. The red fire ant is particularly damaging, dangerous and expensive.

I am particularly interested in the importation of soil into Ireland. I understand the EU has banned the export of soil from the UK but what is the situation with soil coming into Ireland in various ways? All kinds of plants and shrubs are imported from various places and, as the Minster of State said, this is often how invasive species arrive into the country. What steps are being taken to ensure the red fire ant does not get in here in the first place? If it does get in here, is the Minister of State confident that action can be taken quickly to deal with it and to eradicate it before it gets a foothold?

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