Dáil debates
Wednesday, 4 October 2023
Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate
Invasive Species Policy
9:25 am
David Stanton (Cork East, Fine Gael)
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I thank the Leas-Cheann Comhairle for selecting this matter and I thank the Minister and Minister of State for being here.
A number of years ago we did not know about Japanese knotweed but now we do. We know how dangerous it is and how expensive it is to remove. In some instances and in some countries, people cannot get mortgages if it is on a site. Invasive species such as this are becoming more prevalent because of the movement of people and global warming. I want to draw the attention of the House this morning to the most recent threat, which is the red fire ant, a native of South America. A while ago, it moved to North America and to the United States, where it costs $6 billion annually. Now it has been found in Italy, which the first such discovery in Europe. It damages crops and electrical equipment and spreads very quickly because of global warming, the movement of people and, in particular, the importation of soil. It is good that the Minister and Minister of State from the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine are present to take this matter because this particular ant can have a devastating effect on agriculture. It also affects people because its sting can be very dangerous and can lead to allergic reaction, hospitalisation, and death.
The red fire ant moved to New Zealand but they eradicated it there. They were on the ball in New Zealand. They saw it coming and when it arrived, they were ready for it. They dealt with it quickly and got rid of it. I have read reports suggesting that it could move to northern Europe quite easily, especially with global warming, as I said earlier. I ask the Ministers to indicate whether there is an awareness of this danger. What agency in the State is responsible if this ant arrives in Ireland? What action can be taken quickly to eradicate it before it gets a foothold here? If it gets a foothold, it will be very difficult to get rid of it. It spreads very quickly and it is very damaging. It can even damage cars because it burrows into electrical equipment. It can damage computers and so on, so we can see how difficult it could be for people, plants, agriculture, electrical equipment, and for industry. We do not want this ant here.
Are the local authorities responsible for identifying this? Should people be told about it? It has been found in parts of the UK and Finland but has not gotten a foothold in either country yet. However, it has gotten a foothold near Syracuse in Sicily, Italy, where 19 nests were found in one particular area. The risk, given that it is in Europe now, is that it could spread. We really need to be aware of it and prepared for it, as well as other invasive species that could be on the way as a result of global warming. We should be on the lookout but who is responsible for this? What action is going to be taken and who is going to take it before this ant gets a foothold?
Martin Heydon (Kildare South, Fine Gael)
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I thank the Deputy for raising what is a really important issue. This is not just about red fire ants but also the broader issue of biosecurity, which as he rightly said, in the context of our changing climate is a growing concern that needs greater vigilance in terms of the many different threats that we can face. To answer his question as to who is responsible, the National Parks and Wildlife Service, NPWS, of the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage is responsible for the implementation of the EU's invasive alien species regulation No. 1143/2014, which provides for a range of concerted EU-wide measures to be taken with respect to listed species of Union concern, known as the Union list. The red fire ant or solenopsis invicta, is included on the Union list. There are currently 88 species listed as being invasive alien species of Union concern but only 12 of these species have been recorded in Ireland as established.
While there have been reports recently of red fire ants arriving in the south of Europe, and that a population in the wild has been reported in Sicily, it is important to note that this is the first such report in Europe and there is no evidence that the species is present in Ireland. The species is largely a tropical or subtropical species. There is no evidence of expansion into temperate zones and nor is this anticipated in the immediate future. The areas currently most at risk of invasion by red fire ants are coastal port cities on the Mediterranean Sea. However, as with all potential invasive alien species threats, pathway management and preparation is important to reduce the risk of an isolated arrival turning into a more widespread problem.
In this context, the NPWS recently published three priority pathway action plans in accordance with Article 13 of the EU invasive alien species regulation and these plans can be accessed on the website www.invasives.ie. One of these plans is for the soil and spoil material introductory pathway, an identified pathway for insects. Border biosecurity and preventing establishment is the best option available for keeping these and any other species on the Union list out of Ireland. These are areas addressed by the pathway action plans. For example, for all small mobile invasive alien species, there can be issues with stowaways within trade goods, agricultural fodder, horticultural material and imported materials. These should be adequately cleaned and that needs action and vigilance at points of entry.
The National Biodiversity Data Centre, NBDC, operates a sighting report alert system which allows members of the public to notify the authorities of sightings or suspected sightings of invasive alien species. Verification expertise, including from experts at the National Museum of Ireland, is in place to rapidly identify reported suspected sightings. Officials from the NPWS also participate in the British Irish Council Invasive Non-Native Species, INNS, working group which provides a forum for information sharing on how to deal with various species of common concern and horizon scanning of invasive alien species threats across administrations in Ireland and Great Britain. Furthermore, the current programme for Government contains a commitment to the development of a national management plan for invasive alien species. Work on this plan is well under way. The NPWS engaged in a scoping exercise with the NBDC to look at how best such a plan could be developed and implemented in a way that collates the range of important work on invasive alien species that is carried out nationally, locally and by stakeholders across Departments and agencies. The draft plan is currently being considered by a steering committee chaired by NPWS, which met for the first time in March 2023. It has since met in June and will convene again later this month. The NPWS intends to have a final draft of the plan ready for public consultation later this year and envisages that the plan will be finalised and launched in 2024.
David Stanton (Cork East, Fine Gael)
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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?
Martin Heydon (Kildare South, Fine Gael)
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Again, I thank the Deputy for making sure we are discussing what is a really important issue. A lot of work is happening behind the scenes on such threats to our country. We have the advantage of being an island nation, which we need to use to full effect from a biosecurity perspective to keep ourselves safe. This is an advantage that other countries in continental Europe do not have. The Deputy has given me an opportunity to outline who is responsible and some of the safeguards that are in place but this is not an area we can be complacent about because the threats constantly evolve.
In terms of soil and other threats, I outlined earlier how the close supervision of points of entry for things like fodder, soil or other elements is key. As the Deputy outlined, we have seen the damage that other invasive species have done here. He mentioned Japanese knotweed and I am also thinking of the likes of ash dieback. There is a huge threat when we import foreign soil, trees and shrubs which is why we want to be as self sufficient as possible in that regard. Where there are entry points, we need to ensure that the appropriate safeguards are in place.
It should be noted that the drafting of legislation relating to invasive alien specie is at an advanced stage and we will see that progress later this year.
It is likely the national management plan will identify a significant funding gap in terms of resources currently allocated to invasive alien species in Ireland and what will be needed to meaningfully tackle the issue at national level.
With regard to specific species such as the red fire ant, it is important to monitor and keep up to date on reports of such species recorded on becoming established in other parts of Europe. The Deputy outlined examples that are not dealt with in my response. That is important but it is also important to consider these reports and updates in the proper context in order that appropriate action can be taken within the overall work being done on invasive alien species in this country. The red fire ant is, without doubt, a damaging and unwelcome species. Although its presence in Italy is undesirable, we are monitoring that on a risk-based assessment here. If the Covid-19 pandemic taught us anything, it is that we need to be prepared for all eventualities. We continue to work in that regard.