Ken O'Flynn (Cork North-Central, Independent Ireland Party)
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659. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government in light of the second confirmed Asian hornet nest in Cobh, the immediate and medium-term measures being funded for surveillance and nest eradication in Cork Harbour and adjacent districts; the guidance being issued to beekeepers and the public; and the KPI targets for the detection-to-destruction time and survey coverage that will apply in Q4 2025. [48108/25]

Roderic O'Gorman (Dublin West, Green Party)
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664. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the dates the Asian hornet nests in Cork were discovered; the dates that the nests were destroyed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48269/25]

Christopher O'Sullivan (Cork South-West, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 659 and 664 together.

The first nest was located in a private garden in Cork city on 28 August 2025. The National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) of my Department put in place a protocol, including risk assessment, to ensure the safe and efficient removal of the nest. International best practice was followed during this operation, and technical support was provided by experts from the UK, NPWS, and The Irish Pest Control Association. The nest was controlled on 4 September and removed from the site on 5 September.

A second nest was located on private property on 5 September. It was controlled and removed on 9 September

The nests will not be destroyed. They have been transferred to the National Museum of Ireland where valuable research will be conducted to further inform our knowledge and response to the Asian Hornet.

The operation to contain the introduction of Asian Hornet, and to prevent its spread in Ireland, is still in the emergency response stage. As part of this response, NPWS holds regular meetings with key stakeholders, including the Irish Bee Keepers Association.

Due to the dynamic nature of dealing with an outbreak of invasive alien species, guidance is being issued in line with on the ground findings and scientific advice from experts including the National Museum and the National Biodiversity Data Centre. In due course, NPWS will develop comprehensive longer term guidance for stakeholders and the public in order to ensure a durable and flexible approach to the Asian Hornet in the coming months and in the event that there is a more widespread introduction of the species.

At this point in time, the efforts of all those involved are focused on restricting the extent of the introduction and on putting monitoring in place to prevent the further spread of the species in the Cork area.