Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
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Question 665: To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he has conducted any research regarding the decline of the bee population and the impact, if any, of pesticide use on this development; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20593/12]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, together with the EU, co-funds Ireland's National Apiculture Programme. The University of Limerick was awarded the contract to carry out research associated with the current three-year programme which runs until September 2013.

Under the previous 2007-2010 Programme, Ireland started to monitor bee colony losses as part of the international COLLOSS research network. This network involves researchers from over 50 countries worldwide working together to study colony losses in an effort to determine their causes. Under the current National Apiculture Programme, monitoring of Irish bee colony losses is continuing through a series of annual national beekeeper surveys. To date there is no evidence that pesticides are contributing to Irish bee colony losses.

It is also worth noting that in recent years the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine has not received any complaints regarding the effect of pesticides on honey bee populations.