Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 17 January 2024
1172. Deputy Jackie Cahill asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the quantity of bark that is being imported into the country for use by nurseries and horticulture, per month in 2023, in tabular form; if this bark is being certified or checked for bark beetle at the point of export and the point of import; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [56451/23]
Amharc ar fhreagra1173. Deputy Jackie Cahill asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the visits his Department has made to Scotland and other regions affected by the bark beetle to inspect the timber being imported into Ireland to ensure it is free of bark beetle; how many visits were made; when they were made; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [56452/23]
Amharc ar fhreagra1174. Deputy Jackie Cahill asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of personnel employed to inspect timber at the point of import into Ireland for bark beetle; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [56453/23]
Amharc ar fhreagra1175. Deputy Jackie Cahill asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will consider banning the import of timber from regions affected by the bark beetle, on grounds of biosecurity; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [56454/23]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 1172 to 1175, inclusive, together.
Importers in Ireland are already prohibited from importing roundwood from areas known to be affected by quarantine bark beetle species. The only area internationally from which imports into Ireland of coniferous roundwood with bark is permitted is a specific UK Government authority assigned ‘Pest Free Area’ (PFA) in the West of Scotland. In light of recent developments with bark beetles in Great Britain, found outside of their ‘Pest Free Area’, this Department has been engaging directly with Scottish forestry authorities, Northern Ireland and the European Commission to ensure that the pest free status of the island of Ireland is maintained.
Coniferous roundwood is both imported into and exported out of Ireland. All imports into Ireland must be compliant with the EU Plant Health Regulation and importers must be registered as Professional Operators. Similarly, any action Ireland takes in response to threats from pests must also be compliant with EU Plant Health Regulations and the International Plant Protection Convention.
My Department maintains very close contact on plant health matters with its counterpart Department in Northern Ireland, the Department of Agriculture Food and Rural Affairs (DAERA), in the context of the consideration of the island of Ireland as a single epidemiological unit. This contact includes discussions on policy regarding roundwood imports from Scotland.
My Department also has an ongoing dialogue with the Scottish Authorities on matters related specifically to the PFA and log imports into Ireland and is working to ensure that the integrity of the PFA is maintained and we have the assurances required to maintain Ireland’s pest free status.
Under the International Plant Protection Convention and the EU Plant Health Regulation 2016/2031, it is the responsibility of the exporting National Plant Protection Organisation (NPPO), in this case that of Great Britain, to ensure that commodities for export meet the entry requirements of the importing country. These commodity specific entry requirements are set out in Commission Implementing Regulation 2019/2072 of the Plant Health Regulation. The conformity of the commodity is confirmed by inspection at the point of import. My Department does not visit Scotland to inspect the logs that are due for export as this is the work of the NPPO in Great Britain. However as stated above, my Department has an ongoing dialogue with the Scottish Authorities on matters related specifically to the Pest Free area and log imports into Ireland and we are fully aware of the inspection regime and surveillance measures in place to ensure the integrity of the PFA.
The Scottish Authorities carry out a range of surveys for bark beetles, including aerial surveillance, pheromone trapping and on the ground surveys. These surveys have been ongoing for several years and no instance of spruce bark beetles of concern to Ireland have been found within the PFA. In addition, felling sites in the PFA, where timber is due to be exported to Ireland, are subject to an inspection regime, as part of their phytosanitary certification system. Inspections in Scotland are carried out by the Scottish authority officials. Irish officials have no role in carrying out inspections in other jurisdictions.
There are over 20 members of staff who carry out plant health import inspections where the inspections may include commodities and wood packaging where bark beetles are a risk.
As a potential pathway for the movement of bark beetles, isolated bark of conifers is regulated in a manner similar to wood of conifers and commodity specific entry requirements are set out in Commission Implementing Regulation 2019/2072 of the Plant Health Regulation 2016/2031. Imports of isolated bark of conifers from third countries are subject to Customs control and inspection as are logs. They must be accompanied by a phytosanitary certificate confirming that they meet Ireland’s entry requirements and they originate in a pest free area or have been subject to an appropriate phytosanitary treatment.
I understand that there were no imports of coniferous bark in 2023 from third countries including the UK. Ireland exports coniferous bark to Great Britain. 80 consignments of coniferous bark were certified by my Department for export to GB in 2023. There is no movement of bark into Ireland from other EU Member States.
