When is it proposed to take Fifth Stage?
Protection of the Native Irish Honey Bee Bill 2021: Report and Final Stages
Bill received for final consideration.
Is that agreed? Agreed.
Question proposed: "That the Bill do now pass."
Perhaps Senator Martin wishes to say a few words.
I ask the Green Party group leader to lead off.
I thank the Minister of State for coming in. I also thank my colleague, Senator Vincent Martin, for his work on this Bill. In fact, he has brought in more Bills to the House in the lifetime of this Government than any other Senator. I believe the number is in double figures in four short years, and that must be commended. It is good to use the House. We are legislators so we can bring in Bills. I think Senator Martin for being outstanding in his work to date in bringing in Bills. As a senior counsel he is well able.
On the Bill, it is fine to say bees are great and for signs to be put up asking people to leave flowers for the bees, but we need real action to protect the native black honey bee because it is under serious threat. Especially during lockdown, everybody went mad for becoming beekeepers overnight, but a lot of them were not aware of the importance of only dealing with native bees and a lot of bees were imported. Unfortunately, those bees will dilute the population of indigenous bees, which is of serious concern, and the protection of indigenous bees is the main purpose of this Bill. I note that Malta, Estonia, France and Finland are all looking to Ireland to see what we do about this as they have huge issues with their indigenous bees. Slovenia set a precedent in 2008 by banning the import of all honey bees and they protect their native stock, which is what we are after today.
The Irish honey bee has shorter legs, a hairier body and a shorter tongue. They know how to ration their food in our weather conditions, which is amazing, whereas the imported bees do not know how to do that. They are very clever and, therefore, it is very important we protect them. The native Irish honey bee, Apis mellifera mellifera, also called the black bee or the dark European honey bee, was originally widespread throughout the whole of northern Europe but, sadly, is no longer prevalent there now due to hybridisation with other subspecies. Scientific research and DNA analysis have confirmed the Irish strain to be both pure and distinct, like champagne and Camembert cheese, which are protected, and we need to do the same for our honey bee.
Thankfully, the black bee is still alive in Ireland and is the variety kept by most beekeepers. It is, however, severely threatened due to hybridisation with imported non-native subspecies as well as the effects of diseases that may be imported by non-native bees. Along with other bees and pollinators generally, it is struggling due to habitat loss, pesticide use and intensive agriculture. Sadly, one third of all Ireland's bees are at risk of extinction. People do not seem to make the link. People just think the Greens are always buzzing about bees, but we will be unable to grow any food in Ireland if we do not have pollinators, and our bees are the ones who play the most important role in pollinating. Even for a spud or carrot to fruit, it must be pollinated. If we do not have good pollinators, we cannot grow any food, which is of huge concern. For years we have been mass producing genetically modified and pesticide-sprayed foods to a large scale and our small food producers are struggling. The Minister of State who is in the House today has done huge work in supporting organic growers and small producers. These producers and the bees need our support. Native Irish honey bees have no voice of their own so we want to be their voice today.
I thank all the people in the audience because they are all campaigners and part of the Irish honey bee association. They have inspired me for years and it is great they took the time to come here today. I will leave the rest to be said by my very able Senator colleague. Let us do the right thing by the native Irish bees.
I point out to Senator Garvey that she and her colleagues have very ably put forward their case and the Bill is actually in the process of being passed. I am allowing a few brief comments, out of respect to the Senator and everyone who put work into this legislation.
I thank the Acting Chairperson for pointing that out. There are Cavan people in the audience as well.
I thank the Acting Chairperson. When the Seanad debated my Bill on Second and Committee Stages, it was known then that Ireland had a significant population of Apis mellifera mellifera, a subspecies that used to be very common in northern Europe but was rapidly becoming extinct. Ireland is one of the last strongholds because the bee has become so endangered in other places. Our native bee lives in the wild, which is a very rare occurrence across Europe. The precious population had come under threat, however, from an increase in the imports of honey bees or subspecies from abroad. These imported honey bees are very different, as Senator Garvey said, and are not adapted to Irish conditions. They do not survive the winter and have less success at mating in our cool wet summers. They require much more feeding than native honey bees. They can still, however, breed with our honey bee thus creating hybrids, which is where the problem lies.
A paper published in 2023 showed an increase in hybridisation in the wild colonies well above what had been reported before. This was thought to be as a result of a large increase in honey bee imports during the pandemic. A paper was published as recently as last week and has been in the public domain since then, which is why I would like to bring it to the attention of the Seanad and the Minister of State - it is good to see the Minister of State, who has always been very accessible, approachable and helpful in this, and I think the paper I refer to is part of what she commissioned to be done and procured a process - published by Alex Valentine, a PhD student at the University of Galway, in which she showed for the first time that Ireland boasts a distinct version of Apis mellifera mellifera, resulting from its adaptation to the island of Ireland. The honey bee here has a distinct body, having shorter legs and a smaller, broader and hairier body. These features are thought to help keep the colony warm in our cool winters. The bees in Ireland also have a distinctive wing structure that might help it fly in windier and drizzly conditions.
It also has a shorter proboscis, which is the mouth, for drinking nectar, which may mean it is well adapted to certain plants common in Ireland. Ireland has what is called a distinct ecotype of honey bee. Sadly, the paper published last week also showed a higher level of hybridisation than previously, with approximately 25% of the colony sampled in the study of 500 colonies from beekeepers around Ireland showing some hybridisation. About 8% were heavily hybridised while the rest showed low levels of hybridisation. This is really worrying. Also interesting are two separate surveys of Irish beekeepers which suggest just over 5% of beekeepers imported queens. This suggests that the relatively small proportion of beekeepers who import bees are having a hugely disproportionate adverse impact on beekeepers who prefer to keep the native bee and conserve its population.
EU law allows for member states to protect biodiversity if it is under threat by trade. Non-tariff measures such as stopping imports are a common way to do this. Continued imports of invasive subspecies can result in homogenisation of honey bees across Europe, wiping out the traits that have allowed them to survive in local climates for thousands of years, and may result in them being totally reliant on humans for survival. Research strongly indicates the best bees for apiculture are local bees, but local bees do not stand a chance of survival if we keep allowing imports of invasive species.
The Minister of State has commissioned the report. Will she update us on where it stands? Delays are dangerous. I am conscious that those who comprise the permanent government do not necessarily have a reputation as Speedy Gonzaleses or trailblazers. They are ultra careful, genuine and dedicated in their efforts but this is a state of emergency. I call on the Department of agriculture to respond appropriately and urgently. Importing other subspecies threatens the genetic integrity of the black bee, losing forever an element of our biodiversity.
We have a chance to do something important today but we are only halfway there. It is a red-letter day to get it through this House. This is part of who we are. There are traces of beeswax from 3,000 B.C. in the west of Ireland.
I thank the Native Irish Honey Bee Society, which has fought so hard for this for so long. Many of its members are in the Visitors Gallery. I thank the North Kildare Beekeepers' Association. Colm O'Neill was a committee member and pillar of the association, and is still an active member. I thank our chairperson Vincent Lernihan, treasurer Pat Winters, honorary secretary Ann Ryan, membership secretary Marion O'Driscoll and the committee members, who epitomise voluntarism. It is a vibrant society and I did a podcast with it recently celebrating its existence and achievements. Committee members include Paula Somers-Kennedy, Cindy Collin, John Lennon, John Byrne, Brigid Monaghan, Sean Dunne, Irwin Bannon, who was featured in the podcast, Kevin Forde, who is present in the Gallery, and Michael Beatty. They are the true heroes of the day. We are not there yet, however, and I know they will not let complacency set in. Today is a positive step forward because the Government will not stop this. We will get it through every legislative Stage in the Seanad. I will keep a very firm eye on this. We have to finish the job we started a number of years ago. Today represents real progress but there is more to do. Go raibh míle maith agaibh.
Senator Garvey has been a constant and enthusiastic supporter of the Bill from the get-go, as has Senator Higgins. It has cross-party support. I got a Senator from every group to sign it. The Green Party deputy leader and leader in the Seanad, Senator Garvey, is big into rural development and supporting small businesses. She has a fair few beekeepers in Clare and has been a constant support. I thank her.
I do not want to interrupt but this has passed the Seanad and we are anxious to get the Bill buzzing its way to the Dáil and into law as quickly as possible.
I will be brief. I am proud to co-sponsor the Bill brought forward by Senator Martin. It is a really good piece of work. I hope it is speeded through the Lower House. It will affect every corner and hedgerow across Ireland. If we look to something with wide-reaching implications, it is this legislation.
Senator Martin mentioned two halves in terms of the Seanad and the Dáil but there are also two parts to this. We are looking to protect our pollinators. The vital importance of pollinators has been spoken about for horticulture and so on. They are also a crucial part of knowing we are living in a space, a country and an ecosystem that is alive with biodiversity. There are two parts: protection of pollinators and protection of habitat. It was eloquently described how perfectly the native Irish honey bee is adapted to our climate, habitat and environment.
I have often engaged with the Minister of State on measures I believe crucial to protecting and enhancing our habitats. That environment to which the Irish honey bee is so well adapted is itself under threat, unfortunately, in the wild spaces and ecosystems across Ireland. Alongside that is the protection of the bee itself.
I will make two points that are important as the Bill moves to the Lower House. There was discussion of where it fits within EU law. It seemed to me explicitly clear that the protective principle applies in EU law. There is a clear remit allowing for appropriate actions in the horticultural area and others, such as measures to protect against hybridisation. Hybridisation is one of the impacts of importing other bees; we have also often see pathogens and disease come attached to those importations.
The Acting Chairperson and I talk about the sustainable development goals a great deal. Within the wonderful blueprint of the sustainable development goals, it is included explicitly. These are the goals the State signed up to and helped negotiate. Target 15.8.1 includes an explicit test, which is the "Proportion of countries adopting relevant national legislation and adequately resourcing the prevention or control of invasive alien species". We have explicitly signed up to bringing forward this kind of legislation.
I encourage every support for the Bill as it goes forward to the Lower House. I commend Senator Martin, all the advocates and all those who work with the native Irish honey bee across the country.
If the Acting Chairperson will bear with me for a couple of minutes, I will make some final statements and he can be on his way.
I thank my party colleague Senator Martin for his extensive work on this Bill. I also extend my thanks to Senators Garvey and Higgins for their continued interest in this important area. I welcome the beekeepers to the Gallery. This is an important day for them and for their commitment to their special species, Apis mellifera mellifera.
I acknowledge again, as I have done previously in this House, the important contribution the native Irish honey bee makes to agriculture and biodiversity as honey producer and pollinator. I reiterate my full support and that of my Department for the overall objective of the Bill, namely the protection of the native Irish honey bee. It is an objective that we all share in this House. The Government has provided extensive support to raise awareness among beekeepers about the importance of the native Irish honey bee. My Department has also provided funding through the scheme for the conservation of genetic resources, the scheme of investment aid for the development of the commercial horticulture sector to support beekeepers to source native bees and assist bee-breeding activities which ensure that such bees are available to meet beekeeper demand.
During the previous Seanad debate on this Private Members' Bill, I outlined concerns shared by my Department and the Office of the Attorney General regarding its compatibility with EU law, in particular Articles 33 and 36 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union. While we all recognise the need to protect the native Irish honey bee, the advice from the Office of the Attorney General at the time was that a total ban on the importation of certain species of honey bee was likely to face significant scrutiny and proportionality grounds, having regard to the case law of the European court.
The Office of the Attorney General considered that an evaluation in terms of proportionality and necessity by way of a scientific assessment was required to substantiate the specific measures proposed in the Bill. I committed to the House that the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine would procure that independent scientific assessment as a matter of urgency. I am pleased to say that we signed a 12-month contract with the University of Galway for the provision of these research services in October of last year. My understanding is that this research project will conclude very shortly - in a matter of weeks.
The view of the European Commission is also important to highlight in this regard, if we are to succeed in our common objective of protecting this wonderful species. The European Commission was asked, by way of a written parliamentary question, if it would object to Ireland imposing a ban on the movement of non-native honey bees into Ireland and if it is open to Ireland to impose an interim ban pending the completion of the scientific review. The response from the Commission stated that the restrictions to the movement of non-native honey bees, due to reasons other than transmittable animal diseases, into Ireland from other member states should not be decided without a thorough assessment. That is why it is so welcome that this necessary and thorough assessment is almost at the point of completion, following which the Government will be in a position to take updated advice from the Office of the Attorney General in respect of the compatibility of the Bill with EU Single Market rules.
We are happy at this stage to move it on. The Bill has already moved and is about to pass the Bill on Report and Final Stages. I welcome the input of Senators for the duration of the debate on the Bill. I thank everyone for their input and support.
I thank the Minister of State. I also thank Senators Martin, Garvey and Higgins and their colleagues in the Gallery for all their work in this regard. We will now send the Bill to the Dáil. It is up to the Lower House to deal with it.
Question put and agreed to.
Cuireadh an Seanad ar fionraí ar 3.22 p.m. agus cuireadh tús leis arís ar 4.02 p.m.
Sitting suspended at 3.22 p.m. and resumed at 4.02 p.m.