Joint Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine to discuss threat from spruce bark beetles to plantations

The meeting at 5.30pm in Committee Room 3 of Leinster House will be split into two sessions:

5:30pm  – Representatives from Irish Farmers Association (IFA)

7pm       – Officials from the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine

Committee Cathaoirleach Deputy Jackie Cahill said:

“We are here today to discuss the threat posed by the spruce bark beetle to the health of Ireland’s spruce forests. Spruce bark beetles are small insects that live and reproduce beneath the bark of spruce trees, both Sitka and Norway spruce, and the beetles reside in trees with weakened defense mechanisms. If the population grows, the beetles can attack healthy trees. Spruce bark beetles have destroyed spruce forests across Europe in recent years. The economic consequences of the bark beetle getting into his country would be immense for our spruce plantations. The committee will be questioning the Department on what bio-security measures are in place to prevent this bark beetle from entering the country. 

The Committee welcomes this engagement on the potential impact of spruce bark beetles to plantations from the Irish Farmers Association (IFA) and the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine.

The Committee looks forward to meeting with IFA and Department officials to discuss measures to prevent the threat of spruce bark beetles on Irish plantations." 

The Joint Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine has 14 Members, nine from the Dáil and five from the Seanad.

The meeting in Committee Room 3 can be viewed live on Oireachtas TV.

Committee proceedings can also be viewed on the Houses of the Oireachtas Smartphone App, available for Apple and Android devices.