Leinster House was a hive of activity amid bee protest

Beekeepers donned their suits at the gates of Leinster House to protest against new legislation they say threatens the country’s bee population.

The Federation of Irish Beekeepers’ Associations along with Birdwatch Ireland, the Hedge Laying Association of Ireland, the Irish Wildlife Trust, and An Taisce were protesting against the Heritage Bill which was debated in the Seanad yesterday afternoon.

Existing legislation allows for hedge-cutting and upland burning from September 1 until the last day of February.

However, the new legislation, if passed, would allow the “cutting, grubbing and otherwise destroying” of hedgerows in August and burning in the uplands in March.

The president of the Federation of Irish Beekeepers’ Association, Gerry Ryan, said the extension by an extra month of the permitted period for both these activities will have serious adverse consequences for Ireland’s already threatened and declining biodiversity.

“This bill totally ignores sectors such as the beekeeping and fruit sectors which rely heavily if not exclusively on pollinators, who in turn rely on pollen in August, to survive throughout the winter.

"Ireland’s hedgerows are a vital source of pollen and permitting a blanket cutting of hedgerows in August will greatly endanger the bee population” he said.

Oonagh Duggan of Birdwatch Ireland said the proposals would cut into the bird breeding season and pointed to a petition of 26,000 names rejecting the legislation: “We ask senators to listen to these voices and to reject Section 8 of the Heritage Bill on the basis that it ignores the science which says that it could seriously impact on nesting birds and could be the death knell for some species already in trouble.

“But it will also impact bees, which need all the help they can get, not Government-condoned habitat destruction. If this bill is passed it will send a clear message that Ireland is not serious about protecting its natural heritage for generations to come.”

Speaking ahead of the protest, Senator Alice-Mary Higgins said the plan “is not backed up by any research or scientific data”.