David Stanton (Cork East, Fine Gael)
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Question 514: To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he has carried out tests to ascertain whether the parasite [i]varroa destructor[/i] is resistant to current treatment products available to beekeepers; his plans, if any to support the licensing of other, more effective treatments; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9381/11]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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Currently, two products are authorised to control varroa in Irish honeybees.

My Department has carried out research to investigate possible resistance of varroa mites to treatment currently available and arising from this my Department is reviewing products containing oxalic acid, currently licensed in other EU Member States, with a view to issuing a special import licence permitting their usage in this jurisdiction for later this year, when the treatment against varroa is recommended.

In addition, the Department is also co-funding (with the EU) the National Apiculture Programme which is focussed on investigating the suitability of a number of alternative products to control varroa under Irish conditions.