David Stanton (Cork East, Fine Gael)
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Question 31: To ask the Minister for Agriculture; Fisheries and Food further to Parliamentary Question No. 321 of 21 June 2011 and 514 of 3 May 2011, the contact, if any, he has had in relation to the licensing of a new product to treat varroa destructor; the number of alternative products to control varroa destructor here which are being examined under the National Apiculture Programme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17639/11]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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The Deputy has been raising this issue for some time and I hope I can now finally give him an answer that is satisfactory. I will send him a more comprehensive briefing note as well, as I will not have time to provide all the information.

Bees play an essential role worldwide by pollinating many of our commercial food crops. They also maintain biodiversity in the wild by pollinating wild plants which then provide shelter and food for a wide range of insects and animals. The honey bee is by far the most important insect pollinator in the world. The varroa mite is the most devastating pest affecting honey bees in Europe. Since its introduction into Ireland in 1998 it has become endemic and is now a major problem for Irish beekeepers.

Currently, two products are authorised to control varroa in Irish honeybees. My Department has identified two more products that should be suitable for treating varroa mites in Ireland. One of these is authorised in another EU member state. However, the other, which is considered the most suitable, is expected to be authorised shortly in another member state. If this is achieved it will allow my Department to consider issuing a special import licence permitting usage of that product in this jurisdiction in time for treatment against varroa later this year as recommended.

The national apiculture programme on bee pathogen research is being carried out by the University of Limerick in conjunction with Teagasc. This three year research programme, running to August 2013, has a budget of €300,000 and is jointly funded by the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food and the EU.

The obstacle to getting the necessary treatment into Ireland is that it takes a long time to get approval within a country for the treatment to deal with this pest. However, there is an arrangement in the EU whereby if a country goes through the necessary processes and gets approval for its use, it can then be transferred to other European countries without having to go through the approval process again. As we are close to securing approval in another member state, the advice I have been given is to allow that process to be completed. When it is, and I understand that will be in the not too distant future, we will apply for a special import licence to import it into Ireland and make it available at the appropriate time of the year, which is the autumn.

That is as much detail as I can give at this stage, but I will send a further note to the Deputy.

David Stanton (Cork East, Fine Gael)
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I appreciate the Minister's acknowledgement that it is a very serious problem. Will the Irish Medicines Board be involved in this process? How long will it take to have a special import licence issued if the approval is granted in another member state? Does the Minister agree that it is quite late now given that early August is when this treatment should be administered? Is he satisfied that this new product will be available on time this year or should beekeepers make provision for next year? Does the second product the Minister mentioned contain oxalic acid?

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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I am not sure about the acid but I will forward all the information I have on the matter to the Deputy. I have asked for extensive information because the Deputy has raised the issue twice and has not received satisfactory answers to date.

The special import licence can issue quite quickly once approval is granted in a member state. Obviously, I am anxious for Ireland to get the most effective treatment available globally for this problem. The advice I have received is that the most suitable product is expected to be authorised shortly within another member state. As soon as that happens we will act quickly. I am advised that the Department hopes to get sanction for the product for this year's season. I accept that we are operating within a tight time constraint but I will try to push the matter within the Department given that the Deputy has been raising it for some time.

David Stanton (Cork East, Fine Gael)
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In the event that the second product mentioned by the Minister is not made available on time, can he give information on the other product he mentioned, as it might contain oxalic acid? I am told oxalic acid is very effective against this destructive mite, which has the potential to devastate hives throughout the country and cause terrible damage. What advice would the Minister give beekeepers who are waiting to import a product that will have an impact?

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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The two products that are currently authorised for the control of varroa in Ireland are Apiguard and Bayvarol. There are two alternative products which are oxalic acid based. One is Api-Bioxal, which is at its final stages of the authorisation process in Italy and is expected to be authorised shortly. That is the one we think is most suitable for Ireland and which we are anxious to get here as quickly as possible.

I was listening to media coverage of the bee industry on RTE Radio One last night. It was mentioned that we spend €9 million each year on imported honey while food producers are willing to buy up all the honey produced in this country. Budding entrepreneurs should know that the honey industry is one to be in. The demand for honey is growing and there is not enough home-grown product.