Beekeepers gathered outside Leinster House this afternoon in support of the Protection of the Native Irish Honey Bee Bill 2021.
The Bill is being read in the Seanad for the second time today with people being urged to put pressure on Senators to save the bees before it's too late.
They have stressed that the Irish honey bee is currently under risk of becoming extinct because of the danger posed by imported bees.
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Andrew Shinnick from Blackwater Honey told Dublin Live that non-native bees are currently mating with the Irish native honeybee.
He said: "The reason why we are here today is to help with the second stage of the protection of the native Irish honeybee. The reason why the bill is so important is because we need to ban the import of non-native honeybees into Ireland.
"They are mating with the native Irish honeybee and causing hybridisation. There is also a high possibility that those bees will also bring in diseases and other pests into the country."
Nicola Moore was another one of the protestors calling for immediate action before it's too late. Her mother is a beekeeper and has seen first-hand the danger that non-native bees pose.
She told Dublin Live that it is extremely important for native honey bees to be protected as they have naturally adapted to the Irish climate and are not found anywhere else in Europe.
She said: "The reason we are trying to ban imported bees is because the imported bees are mating with the native black Irish bee.
"I think preserving anything native when many things are outsourced is very important. The bees have adapted to our climate."
Nicola's mam Mary is an avid beekeeper and is worried about the potential extinction of the native Irish species.
She said: "Our native Irish bee has lived in Ireland for thousands of years and they have evolved to suit our climate and work well with it. Imported bees have brought disease to our bees and are causing hybridisation of the native Irish honeybee nationwide which is very destructive."
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