Hopes ash tree fungus can be contained

Hurley producers are hopeful that an outbreak of ash tree disease in Co Leitrim can be contained.

Officials from the Department of Agriculture yesterday destroyed diseased material in an unidentified Leitrim forest.

The disease, chalara fraxinea, has devastated 90% of Denmark’s ash trees and is spreading rapidly throughout Europe.

“I understand that they are quite confident that they have eradicated the disease from the site,” said Albert Nevin, secretary of the Irish Guild of Ash Hurleymakers.

“The department responded very quickly.”

The origin of the outbreak is uncertain, but Department of Agriculture officials say it may have entered the country via imports of plants and wood, including firewood. Symptoms include necrotic lesions on stems and branches, leading to foliage wilt, die-back of branches, and death of the top of the crown.

Earlier this week, Agriculture Minister Simon Coveney said he was very concerned about news of the chalara fraxinea fungus in Europe and called upon those in the industry to be vigilant. No Irish cases had then been found.

The department is introducing emergency measures and using the EU plant passport system to ensure ash imports are disease-free. Forest nursery trade and contractors have been asked to introduce a voluntary import moratorium

The department said: “Forest owners and members of the public are asked to be vigilant for the disease and report any sites where there are concerns about unusual ill health in ash to the department’s forest service.”

* Call 016072651 or email [e-mail]