Paschal Donohoe (Dublin Central, Fine Gael)
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To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if his attention has been drawn to the threat posed by Chalara fraxinea disease to ash trees; if he has considered banning of imports of live ash saplings from Europe; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44921/12]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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MyDepartment has confirmed a finding of the Chalara fraxinea disease at a site in County Leitrim and as a result is carrying out a number of measures. Department officials are working with the owner of the site involved to destroy the material and remove the risk of the disease spreading. Ash plants used from the same imported consignment related to the outbreak are also being destroyed. In addition, my Department is introducing emergency measures under the Plant Health Directive. These new measures being introduced by the Department under Statutory Instrument will require that any ash plants imported into the country would come from an area known to be free of the disease.

My colleague at the Department, Minister of State Shane McEntee TD, has met with representatives from the forest nursery sector, Coillte and the hurley manufacturers to brief them on the disease and to update them on the measures being taken by the Department. The forest nursery trade agreed to comply with Minister McEntee’s request to impose a voluntary moratorium on imported stock from Europe with immediate effect. The hurley manufacturers also agreed to call on its members to ensure that ash wood for hurley making is either imported from countries free of the disease or that any hurley ash being imported from Continental Europe would be in plank form and with the bark sawn off.

Minister McEntee will continue to meet with the representatives during the week.