Ash dieback disease spreads nationwide as 120 cases confirmed
A total of 120 cases have been confirmed. Some 47 of these were in forest plantations and 21 were in nurseries and garden centres.
Another 21 cases were found in farms. Four were identified in private gardens, 25 in roadside plantings and two were in hedgerows. A total of 14 cases were confirmed in 2014.
Minister of State Ciarán Cannon told the Senate before the summer recess that significant efforts have been made by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine to try and contain this destructive disease.
A reconstitution scheme, introduced to help forest owners affected by the disease, also provides financial support for site clearance, as well as funding for replanting with a suitable alternative species.
So far funding has been allocated in respect of 560 ha under the scheme and over €1m has been paid to forest owners in grants.
The department is continuing with its efforts to increase awareness of ash dieback and the serious threat posed by this disease.
Officials are also working closely with colleagues in Northern Ireland to implement a cohesive all-Ireland control strategy.
One of the most important areas of work is in the identification of possible resistance to the disease in ash.
As part of this effort, Irish ash plants have been planted at a range of sites in south-east England to test for resistance.
“The research, funded in part by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, is being carried out by Forest Research, an agency of the Forestry Commission,” he said.
Mr Cannon said in terms of supply, Ireland requires in the region of 2,100 cu. m of hurley ash per annum, representing some 360,000 hurleys.
Well over 70% of ash timber is imported to meet this demand. There are almost 20,000 ha of ash in the country, most of which is less than 20 years old.
“It is anticipated that we will rely on imports for the next five to seven years until these ash plantations reach the appropriate size.
“In the longer term, we must concentrate our efforts on trying to identify resistant species of ash so that we can begin to plant ash again as part of a national planting programme,” he said.
Senator Denis Landy, who raised the issue, said some 1,300 acres of forest in Ireland have been destroyed by the disease.
The industry supports 400 jobs and ash wood is used for many purposes, one of which is the making of hurleys.
But the cost of ash for this production has increased dramatically, even in recent months. Ash now costs €12 per plank, the raw material for a hurley, and it was previously €9.50.
