Vincent P Martin (Green Party) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Acting Chairperson. When the Seanad debated my Bill on Second and Committee Stages, it was known then that Ireland had a significant population of Apis mellifera mellifera, a subspecies that used to be very common in northern Europe but was rapidly becoming extinct. Ireland is one of the last strongholds because the bee has become so endangered in other places. Our native bee lives in the wild, which is a very rare occurrence across Europe. The precious population had come under threat, however, from an increase in the imports of honey bees or subspecies from abroad. These imported honey bees are very different, as Senator Garvey said, and are not adapted to Irish conditions. They do not survive the winter and have less success at mating in our cool wet summers. They require much more feeding than native honey bees. They can still, however, breed with our honey bee thus creating hybrids, which is where the problem lies.

A paper published in 2023 showed an increase in hybridisation in the wild colonies well above what had been reported before. This was thought to be as a result of a large increase in honey bee imports during the pandemic. A paper was published as recently as last week and has been in the public domain since then, which is why I would like to bring it to the attention of the Seanad and the Minister of State - it is good to see the Minister of State, who has always been very accessible, approachable and helpful in this, and I think the paper I refer to is part of what she commissioned to be done and procured a process - published by Alex Valentine, a PhD student at the University of Galway, in which she showed for the first time that Ireland boasts a distinct version of Apis mellifera mellifera, resulting from its adaptation to the island of Ireland. The honey bee here has a distinct body, having shorter legs and a smaller, broader and hairier body. These features are thought to help keep the colony warm in our cool winters. The bees in Ireland also have a distinctive wing structure that might help it fly in windier and drizzly conditions.It also has a shorter proboscis, which is the mouth, for drinking nectar, which may mean it is well adapted to certain plants common in Ireland. Ireland has what is called a distinct ecotype of honey bee. Sadly, the paper published last week also showed a higher level of hybridisation than previously, with approximately 25% of the colony sampled in the study of 500 colonies from beekeepers around Ireland showing some hybridisation. About 8% were heavily hybridised while the rest showed low levels of hybridisation. This is really worrying. Also interesting are two separate surveys of Irish beekeepers which suggest just over 5% of beekeepers imported queens. This suggests that the relatively small proportion of beekeepers who import bees are having a hugely disproportionate adverse impact on beekeepers who prefer to keep the native bee and conserve its population.

EU law allows for member states to protect biodiversity if it is under threat by trade. Non-tariff measures such as stopping imports are a common way to do this. Continued imports of invasive subspecies can result in homogenisation of honey bees across Europe, wiping out the traits that have allowed them to survive in local climates for thousands of years, and may result in them being totally reliant on humans for survival. Research strongly indicates the best bees for apiculture are local bees, but local bees do not stand a chance of survival if we keep allowing imports of invasive species.

The Minister of State has commissioned the report. Will she update us on where it stands? Delays are dangerous. I am conscious that those who comprise the permanent government do not necessarily have a reputation as Speedy Gonzaleses or trailblazers. They are ultra careful, genuine and dedicated in their efforts but this is a state of emergency. I call on the Department of agriculture to respond appropriately and urgently. Importing other subspecies threatens the genetic integrity of the black bee, losing forever an element of our biodiversity.

We have a chance to do something important today but we are only halfway there. It is a red-letter day to get it through this House. This is part of who we are. There are traces of beeswax from 3,000 B.C. in the west of Ireland.

I thank the Native Irish Honey Bee Society, which has fought so hard for this for so long. Many of its members are in the Visitors Gallery. I thank the North Kildare Beekeepers' Association. Colm O'Neill was a committee member and pillar of the association, and is still an active member. I thank our chairperson Vincent Lernihan, treasurer Pat Winters, honorary secretary Ann Ryan, membership secretary Marion O'Driscoll and the committee members, who epitomise voluntarism. It is a vibrant society and I did a podcast with it recently celebrating its existence and achievements. Committee members include Paula Somers-Kennedy, Cindy Collin, John Lennon, John Byrne, Brigid Monaghan, Sean Dunne, Irwin Bannon, who was featured in the podcast, Kevin Forde, who is present in the Gallery, and Michael Beatty. They are the true heroes of the day. We are not there yet, however, and I know they will not let complacency set in. Today is a positive step forward because the Government will not stop this. We will get it through every legislative Stage in the Seanad. I will keep a very firm eye on this. We have to finish the job we started a number of years ago. Today represents real progress but there is more to do. Go raibh míle maith agaibh.

Senator Garvey has been a constant and enthusiastic supporter of the Bill from the get-go, as has Senator Higgins. It has cross-party support. I got a Senator from every group to sign it. The Green Party deputy leader and leader in the Seanad, Senator Garvey, is big into rural development and supporting small businesses. She has a fair few beekeepers in Clare and has been a constant support. I thank her.