Michael Ring
Question:148 Mr. Ring asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food the compensation, if any, available for beekeepers whose hives and apiaries are affected by varroa. [12066/99]
Written Answers. - Beekeepers' Compensation.
Michael Ring
Question:149 Mr. Ring asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food if all hives and apiaries where varroa is identified will be compensated; and if compensation will be introduced to ensure that the disease is contained. [12067/99]
Michael Ring
Question:150 Mr. Ring asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food the measures, if any, his officials are taking to ensure that the varroa disease is contained within the beekeeping industry. [12068/99]
Michael Ring
Question:151 Mr. Ring asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food the number of beekeepers compensated in 1998 for infection of varroa; and the number compensated to date in 1999 on a monthly basis. [12069/99]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 148, 149, 150 and 151 together.
Varroasis, a serious disease of honey bees, caused by the parasitic mite varroa jacobsoni was discovered for the first time in Ireland in June 1998. The mite affects only the honey bee. The quality of honey produced by infected bees is not affected. First indications were that this was an isolated outbreak and consequently a policy of destruction of bee colonies in the area was adopted together with a declaration of the area involved i.e. County Sligo and part of County Mayo as an infected area. Movement of bees into or out of the area was prohibited. The infected area was later extended to include part of County Leitrim. I decided that beekeepers would be com pensated in respect of colonies destroyed at a rate of £80 per colony. A total of 301 colonies were destroyed involving 58 beekeepers.
An intensive survey was undertaken to determine the extent of the outbreak. This survey revealed that the initial discovery was not an isolated outbreak but part of a more established population of varroa mites in the area. In the light of this information the infected area was extended in April 1999 to include all of counties Mayo and Sligo and that part of Leitrim north of Lough Allen and the policy of eradication was discontinued. The movement of bees out of the infected area continues to be prohibited but beekeepers within the area can now restock with bees from outside of it.
For the future it will be a matter for Irish beekeepers by continuous monitoring and control to avoid the worst effects of this pest. While there are no funds at my disposal out of which compensation can be paid to beekeepers whose apiaries are affected with varroa, an EU supported fund for the production and marketing of honey will be used to assist the Federation of Irish Beekeepers' Associations to provide an education programme for beekeepers on the recognition and control of the disease. The fund will also be used to carry out further surveys to monitor the presence of the disease in the infected area and elsewhere.
In 1998 the number of beekeepers compensated each month was as follows: September, 25, October, nine and November, three. In 1999 17 beekeepers were paid compensation in April. Compensation payments in respect of the remaining four beekeepers are being processed.