79 cases of ash dieback confirmed this year

A further 79 outbreaks of the ash dieback disease were confirmed across the country in the year up to early November.

These bring to 195 the number of cases since the disease was first detected in a young plantation in Co Leitrim three years ago.

There are now confirmed findings of the disease in some 110 forest plantations distributed more than 18 counties.

The disease has also been found in native hedgerows in 13 counties and in roadside plantings in 11 counties. It has also been detected in 25 horticultural nurseries.

Agriculture Minister Simon Coveney told Laois-Offaly Sinn Fein TD Brian Stanley in a writted reply to a recent Dáil question, that his department has been engaged in a number of actions in combatting the disease in 2015, including a large-scale systematic and targeted survey of forests, nurseries, hedgerows, agricultural environmental schemes, and roadside plantings across the whole of the country which began in July.

The field element, laboratory testing, and analysis have been finalised and outcomes of the survey and other work are being assessed.

A review of policy in relation to the disease is also being carried out in co-operation with the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development in the North .

“Preliminary results show that, due to the high number of findings of ash dieback, especially in native hedgerows, Ireland would not be in a position to apply to the EU for Protected Zone status for the disease,” he said.

“The possibility of removing the embargo on ash sales under a plant passport system for nurseries, for plants which have been free of the disease for at least two years, is being considered.”