MEASURES against the Asian hornet are being stepped up, Christopher O’Sullivan TD assured. The Minister of State for Nature, Heritage and Biodiversity recently chaired the final meeting of the Asian Hornet Management Group (AHMG), revealing plans for a new interdepartmental taskforce to be established over the winter. The taskforce is to lead strategy, planning, and stakeholder engagement to deal with the hornet issue.

The AHMG was formed in August after the hornet’s first confirmed sighting in Cork city, having since removed two nests in Cork city and Cobh. Minister O’Sullivan said: ‘Given the spread of the Asian hornet throughout Europe, we must ensure that Ireland is prepared for any future incursions.

‘We have learned valuable insights from our response to date. This learning will inform the work of the interdepartmental group, who will now actively plan and engage widely with stakeholders from sectors involved to prepare and strengthen our response.’

He said he wanted to thank beekeeper associations for their practical support and advice during the crisis and looked forward to their continued engagement with the new group.

The group is led by the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS).

Minister O’Sullivan praised NPWS staff, local beekeepers, and the public for their swift response and collaboration, saying it was ‘citizen science at its best.’