Seán Haughey (Dublin Bay North, Fianna Fail)
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181. To ask the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht her views on the decline of the bee population here; the measures she is taking to deal with this problem; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [2248/17]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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There are 101 native species of bee in Ireland. This includes the honeybee, 20 species of bumblebee and many more species of solitary bee. They are significant pollinators of wild species of plants, but also crops and garden plants.

Honeybee colonies in Ireland are mostly artificially maintained and the species does not fall under the remit of my Department. However, the problems affecting honeybees, such as starvation, disease and pesticides, can also impact on wild bees and my Department recognises the need to address these issues.

While the Red List of threatened species of bees in Ireland, published in 2006, recognised a decline in the bee population, my Department is involved in several initiatives, such as the EU funded BurrenLIFE and AranLIFE projects, which have at their core the goal of restoring species-rich habitats that will benefit pollinators, especially wild species of bees. My Department also owns and manages an extensive network of protected sites, including National Parks and Nature Reserves, that support some of Ireland’s rarest bees as well as providing a suitable habitat for many common species.

Ireland is one of a small number of countries in Europe to have developed a strategy to address pollinator decline and protect pollination services. In conjunction with other governmental and non-governmental organisations, my Department has played a key role in supporting and endorsing the All-Ireland Pollinator Plan, 2015-2020. The Plan provides an important framework to bring together pollinator initiatives from the North and South, and start a process by which positive steps are taken to protect pollinators and the service they provide into the future. Over the life of the Plan, the aim is to achieve conditions, on an all-island basis, where pollinators can not only survive but reverse declining populations and thrive.

The issue of declining populations of bees is also a global one and requires communication and cooperation at an international level. Ireland – represented by officials from my Department - is a member of the Intergovernmental science-policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) and has approved the global assessment on pollination. Irish scientists contributed to this assessment and many of the actions in the document are reflected in the All-Ireland Pollinator Plan.