Ryan O'Meara (Tipperary North, Fianna Fail)
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1406. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the legislation and regulatory requirements in place with regard to the prevention of the importation of invasive insects, such as the bark beetle and infectious diseases, that pose a threat to Irish forestry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [57819/25]

Michael Healy-Rae (Kerry, Independent)
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The import requirements for wood and wood products, which could act as a pathway for the movement of harmful pests including bark beetles from place to place are set out in the Plant Health Regulation EU 2016/2031 and Commission Implementing Regulation 2019/2072.

This legislative and regulatory framework is established upon scientific knowledge and available information about known pests and their pathway for potential movement from country to country. Under this legislation, Ireland has “Protected Zone” status within the EU for a range of forestry harmful organisms. This Protected Zone status recognises in legal terms, the freedom from the presence of a range of pests including European bark beetles in Ireland, despite having conditions which are suitable for their establishment should they be introduced. It allows Ireland to implement more stringent import requirements on certain commodities than would be the case were these commodities moved between other EU Member States.

My Department's Forestry Inspectorate carry out an ongoing annual forest surveillance programme. This programme is in place nationally to demonstrate our continued freedom from bark beetles and other exotic plant pests, and to enable early detection should a pest enter. My Department has a dedicated Import Controls Division, who carry out inspections of wood and wood products at our Border Control Posts at ports and airports, to ensure compliance with the entry requirements.

My Department’s Plant Science Division provide pest risk assessment, horizon scanning and scientific advice, which informs our policy and operations in relation to invasive pests and feeds into the development of the regulatory framework.

A common pathway for bark beetles is the transport of logs with bark attached. Since the middle of 2024, there has been no importation of coniferous logs with bark attached from anywhere in the world into the island of Ireland. This followed a decision by the Scottish authorities that they were no longer in a position to issue phytosanitary certificates confirming that Scottish logs were free from certain bark beetles not present in Ireland. The absence of a trade into Ireland of logs with bark attached has reduced the risk of bark beetles entering Ireland.