Take on powerful lobby and protect ash trees

The news that ash dieback is spreading was sadly expected. Recently it was found in a native, homegrown ash tree, growing in a hedge, but near the first found outbreak, which was on imported ash trees.

This means that the disease has jumped from its original source and now threatens all our ash trees.

That it was found in a hedge is also hugely important. Our hedges are full of ash and are being cut and flailed yearly, often twice, under government and EU-financed, but misnamed, environmental schemes.

These are simply financial aid schemes for farmers, dressed up as environmentalism.

The disease of ash is well established, but all trees do not either die or show symptoms immediately, so if these infected trees or saplings are flailed, and the flail travel along more hedges and fields, as they do, then it will in all probability spread the disease widely. This endangers our ecology and the look of our land and it must be stopped.

Excuses in a few years from now will do little to restore our landscape, or its unfortunate wildlife.

All in authority know this, but they do nothing for fear of annoying farmers and their powerful lobby.

John Farrelly

Ballybough Road

Dublin 3