Ireland's €2bn forestry industry is in fear of the bark beetle
Any outbreak of bark beetle disease in Ireland would pose a serious risk to the €2bn forestry and timber industry, which supports some 9,400 direct and indirect jobs.
“An east wind blows no good” is an old saying in rural Ireland, but it has now become more relevant than ever for public services and forestry owners.
That’s because new fears have arisen that a small insect that has killed hundreds of millions of trees across Europe over the past decade can be blown by the wind.
Ireland is free of bark beetles, but they have been identified and eradicated from 13 sites in England since 2021.
That, in turn, has led to the Department of Agriculture putting a particular surveillance focus on ports and forests along the east coast.
It carries out stringent inspections of imported timber and wood products at ports and airports to ensure compliance with the entry requirements.
Any outbreak of bark beetle disease in Ireland would pose a serious risk to the €2bn forestry and timber industry, which supports some 9,400 direct and indirect jobs.
Barry Delany, Forestry Services director, told a recent meeting of the Oireachtas agriculture, food and marine committee frontier inspections are carried out at Dublin Port, Wexford and so on.
“Research in the UK showed that the bark beetle flew or was blown across from the continent.
“We surveyed the entire country of Ireland for bark beetles, but we have now really emphasised our surveillance along the east coast, particularly at ports and in forests.
“We have learned that the most important thing to do is find and remove bark beetles as quickly as possible. We work closely with our colleagues in Europe.
“We work very closely with the UK, and we have a plant health co-ordination group with the authorities there.
“We will learn from them how they managed to eradicate the beetle and allow the rest of that country to be declared free of infestation,” he said.
Dr Eoin Ryan, deputy chief veterinary officer, told the committee Ireland's forests were in good health.
“Ireland does not have the range of forest pests and diseases that are endemic on the continent and further afield,” he said.
Dr Ryan said aggressive species could develop rapidly in large populations influenced by favourable climatic conditions and allowing them to produce more generations of beetle per year than would be normal.
The department carries out annual comprehensive plant health surveys for a range of pests with a view to maintaining Ireland's high plant health status and to comply with Irish and EU legislation.
“Bark beetle surveillance is the major focus of the annual forest surveillance programme,” he said.
Tipperary North Fianna Fáil TD Ryan O'Meara sought information in the Dáil about the requirements in place to prevent the importation of invasive insects that pose a threat to Irish forestry.
Forestry minister Michael Healy-Rae said the import requirements for wood and wood products, which could act as a pathway for the movement of harmful pests, including bark beetles, from place to place, are set out in a legislative and regulatory framework.
It was established upon scientific knowledge and available information about known pests and their pathway for potential movement from country to country.
Under this legislation, Ireland has “protected zone” status within the EU for a range of harmful forestry organisms.
It allows Ireland to implement more stringent import requirements on certain commodities than would be the case were these moved between other EU member states.
Mr Healy-Rae said the department's forestry inspectorate carry out an ongoing annual forest surveillance programme.
This is in place nationally to demonstrate the State’s continued freedom from bark beetles and other exotic plant pests, and to enable early detection should a pest enter.
He said a dedicated import controls division carry out inspections of wood and wood products at border control posts.
The department’s plant science division provides pest risk assessment, horizon scanning and scientific advice.
This informs policy and operations in relation to invasive pests and feeds into the development of the regulatory framework.
Mr Healy-Rae said a common pathway for bark beetles was the transport of logs with bark attached.
Since the middle of 2024, there has been no importation of coniferous logs with bark attached from anywhere in the world into the island of Ireland.
This followed a decision by the Scottish authorities that they could no longer issue phytosanitary certificates confirming their logs were free from certain bark beetles not found in Ireland.
He said the absence of a trade into Ireland of logs with bark attached has reduced the risk of bark beetles entering the country.
