Ash dieback affects 700 hectares of forestry
Agriculture Minister Simon Coveney gave the figure in response to a series of Dáil questions from the Cork East Sinn Féin TD Sandra McLellan.
He said a high proportion of the area cleared are plantations which were associated with infected imported batches but which were not necessarily infected.
“These associated plantations were destroyed on a precautionary basis. This work involved the uprooting and deep burial of about two million ash trees since late 2012,” he said.
Mr Coveney said the findings were all in privately-owned forestry plantations, apart from one Coillte site. Infected ash has also been destroyed by deep burial or burning in privately-owned non-forestry locations such as horticultural nurseries, gardens and farm and agri-environment plantings.
There have also been roadside findings which have been subject to eradication measures. No data is available specifically for ash trees planted under the Rural Environment Protection Scheme.
