Ash dieback affects 700 hectares of forestry

About 693 hectares of ash forestry plantations have been cleared and replanted with alternative species after the outbreaks of ash dieback disease over the past two years.

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.