Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 12 May 2026
876. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the position regarding any engagement he has had with an organisation (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34673/26]
Amharc ar fhreagra877. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the position regarding any State funding to an organisation (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34674/26]
Amharc ar fhreagra878. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine his views on whether the existing level of support to an organisation (details supplied) is sufficient; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34675/26]
Amharc ar fhreagra879. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the position regarding any work ongoing within his Department that seeks to support an organisation (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34676/26]
Amharc ar fhreagra880. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine his views on the merits of progressing the Native Irish Honeybee Bill 2021; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34677/26]
Amharc ar fhreagra881. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the position regarding any assessment carried out by his Department of the Native Irish Honeybee Bill 2021 with a view to progressing the substantive aims of this legislation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34678/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 876, 877, 878, 879, 880 and 881 together.
The Protection of the Native Irish Honey Bee Bill 2021, which seeks to ban the importation of non-native honey bees, is a Private Members Bill and is currently before Dáil Éireann, Second Stage.
Following advice from the Office of the Attorney General, my Department procured independent scientific evidence and in October 2023, a 12 month contract was signed with the National University of Ireland, Galway for the provision of research services on the native Irish honey bee (Apis mellifera mellifera).
The research work concluded in December 2024, and the research report was subsequently evaluated by an external expert. Following the completion of the evaluation, the research service provider was afforded the opportunity to respond to the evaluator’s comments and these comments were received in September 2025. My Department is currently finalising the overall response to the report and this is expected to conclude shortly.
My Department is very supportive of beekeepers and beekeeping associations including the Native Irish Honey Bee Society (NIHBS). The Annual Grants to Irish National Beekeepers Federations which is Exchequer funded provides an annual grant to the four Irish National Beekeepers Federations which includes NIHBS. In 2025, the four national beekeeping federations received a total of €25,500 through this measure for initiatives, including the conservation of the native Irish honey bee.
The NIHBS also received funding in 2021 and 2024 under my Department's Conservation of Plant and Animal Genetic Resources Scheme for projects related to the conservation of the native Irish honey bee and their application under the 2026 Scheme has been approved.
My Department also supports Irish beekeeping through the provision of grant aid for capital investments by individual beekeepers in specialised beekeeping related equipment and structures.
In addition, €121,000 was paid out under the National Apiculture Programme (NAP) in 2025 to support beekeeping through an approved applied research project.
