Frequently Asked Questions

Who are the current board of the Irish Bee Foundation?

There is currently a board of 5 members: Mairead Dineen, Michael Love, Gus McCoy, Paul O’Brien, and Chris Dury.  At the formation meeting a committee will be selected on the day.

Is the Irish Bee Foundation part of FIBKA?

No, the Irish Bee Foundation is an independent beekeeping association without ties or affiliation to any other beekeeping organisation. 

The Irish Bee Foundation hopes to work in parallel with other national associations and organisations both on the Island of Ireland and overseas in the furtherance of our mission and for the betterment of bees and beekeeping in Ireland.

What are the differentiators of the Irish Bee Foundation?

The Irish Bee Foundation has 3 main differentiators that set it apart from the other national bodies.  The Irish Bee Foundation is the only national body that can offer each of the following:

  1. Its unequivocal support of the Irish Black Bee
  2. Provides Beekeeping Insurance to all members
  3. Aims to provide an accredited QQI education across all levels for its members

Is there a current constitution?

The current constitution is a basic version to satisfy the requirements of CRO.  As part of the Formation meeting, planned for September, we will ask members, after discussion, to ratify an amended constitution.

What is the mission of the Irish Bee Foundation?

The mission of the Irish Bee Foundation is to provide a structured approach to education for its members, which is conveyed through its branches, along with linking further education opportunities with like-minded third-level colleges.

The organisation is focused on the promotion, preservation, and protection of the native Irish black bee through the education of its members.   

How will the aim be achieved?

At the formation meeting the aims and objectives will be agreed by the members and a 5-year plan will be agreed upon as soon as possible.  This document will be the road map for the Irish Bee Foundation

When will the education system be up and running?

That question is subject to the involvement of the membership, if there is an appetite for change and enough willing volunteers to form the panels needed to operate the Irish Bee Foundation.  We aim to at least provide a Level 1 course in time for the Spring of 2025, with a Level 2 course available by Summer 2025.

What are the Membership Options?

Membership is available on an individual basis from now until 31st December 2025.  Individual membership is currently available through the website www.irishbeefoundation.ie  We hope to unveil the membership offering for 2025 in the Autumn. This will include through a network of Irish Bee Foundation branches, these may be existing beekeeping associations, new formations.  Individual membership of our central St Gobnait’s branch will cater for members not affiliated with a branch of the Irish Bee Foundation.  Final details of the branch membership offer will be discussed and ratified at the formation meeting in September.

Why is DAFM registration a condition of membership of the Irish Bee Foundation?

One of the primary aims of the Irish Bee Foundation is that members are registered with DAFM, this will in turn have a positive financial impact on the Irish Bee Foundation and others. DAFM currently has only a fraction of beekeepers registered out of an estimated number of 6,000. This greatly impacts any leverage a beekeeping organisation can have with the department. Hence the requirement to register with DAFM.  

As a honey producer and whether you gift or sell honey you should be registered with DAFM, registration is not onerous and is free. 

The Irish Bee Foundation seeks to be a positive influence for beekeepers and work in a proactive way with DAFM.

You can find details on how to register at  gov – Beekeeping & Honey (www.gov.ie)

What is the Irish Bee Foundation standpoint on non-native bees?

The Irish Bee Foundation is committed to preserving the native Irish Black Bee.

We welcome members commitment in this by only introducing native Irish honey bee queens to their apiaries.

One of our objectives is to educate those who keep other strains of bees on the importance of keeping the native Irish Black Bee to reduce/eliminate hybridisation throughout the island of Ireland.

One of our longer-term plans is to develop a programme to generate native Irish Black Bee queens and make them available to beekeepers with a view to them transitioning to the native strain.

Follow Us on our Social Media Pages!