Brian Ó Domhnaill (Fianna Fail)
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I welcome the Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine. I am raising this issue on behalf of Councillor Gerard Flynn who is a member of Clare County Council. It relates to the burdensome problem of wild ivy attaching itself to trees, a problem that arises not just in County Clare but also throughout the country. The ivy which is sometimes referred to as "English ivy" is causing damage to the native tree population, both in public amenity areas and also on private property. It does not kill a tree, but the resulting activity after it has started to grow can kill the tree. It creates competition for nutrients, water and sunlight. It makes a tree weaker and more prone to disease and branch dieback. It also contributes to the added moisture around the bark which attracts bugs and accelerates rot. As it grows from the ground up, branch dieback is usually evident at the bottom of the tree initially. This leaves the tree looking like a stalk of broccoli, with a head at the top. It creates an imbalance for branches and there is the added weight of the ivy at the top. As a result, the tree is more prone to falling during drastic weather events, which meants that it is also a safety issue. I live in County Donegal and the wind on the western seaboard can be atrocious, particularly during the winter. Trees that are heavily weighted with ivy at the top are less balanced and can fall in the wind. They have been known to cause accidents when they fall across a road. I have often encountered instances of trees falling across a public road, resulting in it being blocked or an accident being caused.

I am not sure whether the Department has conducted an analysis of this issue as it might be a new or emerging problem, but on behalf of Councillor Flynn I am asking the Minister of State to carry out a nationwide review to ascertain the extent of the problem and whether a policy intervention by the Department is required. Perhaps he might consider my request. I am not sure if it is an issue in County Wicklow, but I am told it is a growing problem along the western seaboard. People in the United States refer to this as the "English ivy" problem. To remedy it, they do not cut the ivy away from the tree, as Senator Billy Lawless will be aware, but cut it at the bottom of the tree and pull out the roots to stop it from growing. It then dies. Perhaps that solution might be considered. It is probably an extensive problem if it has to be dealt with on a countrywide basis, but it might be more prevalent in some counties than in others. Has the Department carried out any analysis?

Andrew Doyle (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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I thank the Senator for raising this issue. In preparing my response I learned a little more about ivy which will come across in my reply.

Paul Coghlan (Fine Gael)
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We are all in the same boat.

Andrew Doyle (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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I will be happy to discuss other aspects of the matter later.

Ivy is an evergreen shrub that is found growing in the wild in Ireland. It is a native species that contributes to the diversity of plants growing in many habitats, both within woodland settings and on individual trees. As a species, the native ivy has received criticism in some quarters. Ivy uses trees for support and to climb and takes no moisture or nutrients from the tree. In other words, it is not a parasite. Its benefits are wide-ranging and play an important role in contributing to the biodiversity of woodland ecosystems and individual trees. The shelter and nesting opportunities provided by ivy are beneficial for many species of birds. It also provides habitats for insects. The berries produced provide a source of food for birds during the autumn and winter months when food is scarce. In addition, the nectar and pollen produced by the flowers are important for different species of insects.

In some cases, ivy can be found growing in large quantities on trees that are unhealthy and not growing well. Trees suffering from diseases or stress may have more open crowns which, in turn, allow the ivy present to grow vigorously with increasing light levels. In these situations the ivy can appear to be the cause of a tree's decline but, in effect, there are usually other underlying factors. The Department periodically carries out national forest inventories which collect a wide range of data that are used to assess, among other things, the total forest cover and the health of the forest estate. All plant species are recorded in forest plots taken as part of the inventory which includes ivy if it is present. The latest published forest inventory results from data collected in a period between 2004 and 2006 found that, in general, the health and vitality of forests in Ireland were considered to be good. The national forest inventory estimates that the total area of forest cover in Ireland is approximately 11% of the land area. As with all living things, there is a natural process and trees will either be felled for timber, succumb to disease or die of old age.

In the normal course of forest management ivy is not routinely removed and, in general, does not affect the productive capacity of healthy trees. In some cases, heavy growth of ivy on trees can make it more difficult to fell trees, but the impact is limited. Individual trees growing on roadsides can sometimes carry large amounts of ivy owing to a tree's weakened condition which can make a tree liable to fall over in high winds. Landowners in general should continue to monitor the condition of their roadside trees and remove unhealthy dangerous trees in the interests of health and safety.

In summary, it is not necessary to carry out a national tree survey to assess the impact of ivy on tree growth. That would prove to be an extremely costly exercise when it has been found that the current health and vitality of trees in Ireland’s forests are generally good. Even if Ireland were to instigate a strategy to remove or limit the growing of ivy, it would have consequences for biodiversity and reduce shelter for other species. Controlling ivy by removing a portion of the stem of the plant by manual cutting would have little impact as new plants would regenerate. Embarking on a national survey and control programme would not be effective and would not provide value for money. We should accept ivy as part of the community of plants found on trees.

Brian Ó Domhnaill (Fianna Fail)
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I accept the Minister of State's response. The Department would certainly have the best data available. One interesting point made in the Minister of State's response is that he agrees with my position on trees on the roadside and the danger of their being blown down. There is one option that could be considered and which might provide value for money. Perhaps the Department, in conjunction with local authorities, might carry out some evaluation of roadside trees that have ivy attached to them to ascertain the danger they pose. If local authorities could be provided with a small contribution, I am sure they would carry out such an assessment as a first step in mitigating any danger of roadside trees falling over as a result of being damaged by ivy. That useful first step could be carried out on a pilot basis. It could even be carried out in a number of counties, starting in County Clare, to ascertain if there was a need to roll it out further. It might be a way of mitigating any huge financial burden on the Department.

Andrew Doyle (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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The last inventory was carried out in the period 2004 to 2006 and there is another assessment under way.It is expected that the status of the general health of the tree population of the country will not have changed that much, save to say that in the interim, Chalara fraxinea, or ash dieback as it is commonly known, has been identified on an all-county basis. That has been accepted by the Department. I am not ignoring the Senator's core point but I wish to explain the context that it is a disease we will have to manage rather than eradicate or eliminate.

Much of the ash was traditionally used on roadsides. To return to the Senator's point, while Chalara fraxineaitself can cause the disease, it does not necessarily undermine the vitality of the tree. In the ongoing assessment of Chalara fraxineaand the monitoring of ash, it might be possible to keep an eye on the ivy and to assess it. The reason roadside trees are often planted on mounds is because road traffic undermines the roots and they get caught in winds, and that is why they become so susceptible. They tend to have been planted many years ago before we had an afforestation programme. Their age profile, if one can use that term, is considerably older than many of the trees which were planted in forests per se.

Every county has trees but in Wicklow there is a higher proportion of forest estates than anywhere else and we also have a lot of roadside trees. It is an ongoing issue. My perception of it is that the ivy was causing the problem but sometimes it is the other way around. In monitoring the safety of trees on roadsides in particular we need to assess the amount of ivy and ascertain whether it is an issue. Senator Ó Domhnaill referred to pulling up the roots. Just cutting ivy without uprooting it would slow it down but it would not stop it regenerating because the nutrients that allowed it to grow in the first place are still in the surrounding area. It is a climber which will continue to climb. I thank the Senator for raising the issue. I have learned a lot by having to deal with the issue today.

Paul Coghlan (Fine Gael)
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We all have.