John Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail)
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To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the action he is taking to prevent the disease Chalara Fraxinea fungus affecting ash trees here; if he will confirm the total amount of ash imported each year; the inspections his Department carry out at the port of entry as prevention measurements; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47232/12]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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The disease Chalara fraxinea or ash dieback poses a very real threat to ash trees throughout Ireland and indeed to those industries which rely on that species for their business - most notably hurley manufacture. A total of 3% of the national forest estate is under ash and 10% of all new planting is currently made up of this important native species. The disease itself is relatively new and is caused by the fungal pathogen Chalara fraxinea which was first described in 2006. The precise origin of the disease remains uncertain and its biology is not yet fully understood. It has spread rapidly across much of Europe, with the majority of European countries where ash is present now reporting dieback.

Ash plants and ash wood with bark imported from countries where the disease is known to occur represents the most likely source of infection in Ireland. Approximately 200,000 ash plants and over 1000 cubic metres of round wood ash for hurley manufacture are imported per annum. Firewood data is not currently broken down by on a species by species basis.

The Department has been actively monitoring for occurrences of this disease since 2008 by carrying out site surveys to establish the status of Chalara fraxinea in the country and by carrying out examinations of ash imports at ports, importers premises, nurseries and planting sites. Since 2008 suspect samples have been sent for laboratory analysis but up to recently all results were negative. Last month, a suspect case of Chalara fraxinea was identified in Co. Leitrim which, following molecular testing was confirmed on the 12th October as Ireland’s first instance of the disease. The site itself which was established in 2009, and was planted using material from a consignment of saplings imported from continental Europe. Some 31,000 individual ash trees made up this consignment which was used in 11 separate sites throughout the country. Ash trees planted on the 11 sites in question have been cleared and destroyed. This involved the removal and burning of some 31,000 trees from the imported consignment (and several thousand adjoining trees) which was carried out rapidly with the cooperation of forest owners and contractors. Results from laboratory analysis received yesterday (5^th November) confirm that while most of this consignment distributed to other sites had no symptoms, in four of the sites the disease was present on a very small number of trees. This confirms the Department’s use of a precautionary approach in destroying the entire consignment in all 11 sites.

I have introduced legislation banning the import of ash plants from countries or parts of countries known to have the disease. This Statutory Instrument came into effect from the 26^th October 2012 and in Northern Ireland equivalent measures were also simultaneously introduced. Additional legislative measures are also being introduced today in relation to wood in co-operation with the authorities in Northern Ireland.