Thomas Williamson

• Name. Thomas Williamson
• Position. Bee and Plant Health Consultant
• Email. Email Thomas

Tom has worked in different roles with the Department of Agriculture in Northern Ireland since 1984, his principal area of expertise is inspections to monitor and control plant and bee pests and diseases and enforcement of the plant and bee health legislation.

During his career Tom has carried out inspections at wholesale and retail nurseries, on fruit and vegetables at retail and wholesale outlets and garden centres to ensure they were free from quarantine pests and diseases and that plant movements complied with EU passporting requirements.

Tom currently manages a team of crops inspectors implementing certification regulations for seed potatoes as well as ensuring compliance with EU plant health and movement controls for potatoes.

Tom has completed a diploma in general agriculture and FIBKA intermediate beekeeping and is one of the leading experts in being within the depart and Ireland. He manages a team of Bee Health Inspectors who complete inspections for notifiable bee diseases and import/export controls as required under EU regulations. He is responsible for implementing a bee health inspection program in N. Ireland to ensure containment of notifiable bee health diseases and monitoring for serious bee health threats.

This includes managing a team of Plant Health Inspectors who complete inspections for the implementation of Plant Health Legislation. Tom allocates and monitors the surveillance inspections completed for quarantine plant pests and diseases within the supply chain and wider environment, the registration and inspection of businesses issuing plant passports along with the implementation of statutory controls in the event of pest/disease outbreaks.

Tom has delivered the Federation of Irish Beekeeping Associations syllabus for the Preliminary Beekeeping course to new beekeepers for a local beekeeping association for the last 10 years.