Joe Carey (Clare, Fine Gael)
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1054. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the funding that has been made available to beekeeping organisations over the past three years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15312/18]

Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
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My Department provides an annual grant to both the Federation of Irish Beekeepers’ Associations (FIBKA) and the Native Irish Honey Bee Society (NIHBS). The objective is to assist both organisations with their operating costs and in promoting the craft of beekeeping among their members, support the conservation of the Native Irish Bee as well as informing the general public about the role of bees in the environment.

My Department provides a number of additional supports for the beekeeping sector.

My Department implements the annual Scheme of Investment Aid for the Development of the Commercial Horticulture Sector (‘Scheme’) under which beekeepers can apply for funding. This competitive grant aid Scheme is fully funded by the Irish Exchequer and provides up to 40% grant aid (50% for approved applicants under 35 years of age) towards the cost of approved capital investments in specialised horticultural equipment and buildings. These include investments in bee breeding and honey production equipment as well as facilities e.g. honey houses, honey extractors and bottling equipment. Grant aid is not paid for bee colonies.  The minimum proposed investment for beekeepers is €2,000 excluding VAT.

The Department and the European Commission co-fund Ireland’s National Apiculture Programme which is supporting a project exploring alternative methods to control the varroa mite under Irish conditions, monitoring overwinter colony loses as part of the international COLOSS research network and providing training workshops for beekeepers. This project is being run in collaboration with Teagasc, National University of Ireland (Galway and Maynooth), Limerick Institute of Technology, the Federation of Irish Beekeepers’ Associations (FIBKA) and the Native Irish Honey Bee Society (NIHBS).

My Department also provides support for beekeepers by covering the costs of laboratory analysis of samples of bees and brood submitted for disease diagnostics. Potential funding  also available under the Scheme for Conservation of Genetic Resources to develop breeding programmes/strategies to protect the Irish Dark Native Honey Bees.

Grant aid and financial assistance amounting to €8,000 in 2015, €12,000 in 2016 and €26,900 in 2017 has been paid out to the beekeeping sector by my Department under the above measures.