Minister O’Sullivan meets Asian Hornet Management Group to plan next steps in Ireland’s response to the Asian Hornet
- Published on: 3 October 2025
- Last updated on: 3 October 2025
Minister of State for Nature, Heritage and Biodiversity, Christopher O’Sullivan TD chaired the final meeting of the Asian Hornet Management Group (AHMG), this week and discussed next steps in Ireland’s response to this invasive species.
The Minister thanked the group for their work to date and announced that a new more formal, interdepartmental structure will be established over the winter, and will be responsible for ongoing planning and stakeholder engagement in advance of any future incursions.
The Asian Hornet Management Group was convened in August following the sighting of an Asian Hornet in Cork city, and oversaw the successful discovery and removal of two Asian Hornet nests in Cork. The group was led by the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS).
The new interdepartmental group will include representatives from relevant Government departments and agencies and will convene to share information, define strategy, plan and implement mitigation actions for any potential future presence of Asian hornet in Ireland.
The Minister thanked the Asian Hornet Monitoring Group for their work and said:
“Invasive species such as the Asian Hornet can have a serious impact across a wide range of sectors. In addition to biodiversity loss, the economic impacts of invasive species are also significant.”
“I would like to pay tribute to the Asian Hornet Management Group for coming together so quickly and decisively once the first sighting of an Asian Hornet was confirmed. Their expertise, swift action, and collaboration with beekeepers in Cork led to the successful removal of both nests.”
“I would also like to thank the beekeeper associations for their practical support and advice during the crisis and look forward to their continued engagement with the new group. I commend the members of the public, local businesses and in particular the property owners involved for their cooperation in this endeavour. Citizen science has never proven so effective as in this case. I encourage the public to continue to report any unusual sightings to the National Biodiversity Data Centre”.
“I’d also like to extend a special commendation to Ainle Ni Bhriain, Director of International Affairs at the National Parks and Wildlife Service and to Declan ODonnell, NPWS Regional Manager and their team in Cork and nationally, who spearheaded the multi-agency effort in locating the nests and addressing this invasives episode so well.”
The Minister concluded:
"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.”
The Asian Hornet Management Group was chaired by the National Parks and Wildlife Service and included representatives from the National Biodiversity Data Centre, the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine and the National Museum of Ireland.
ENDS
Notes to Editor
Updates on confirmed sightings and nests are published by the National Biodiversity Data Centre here