Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the action taken by him to deal with the threat of ash die back disease that is threatening ash trees throughout the country; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15972/13]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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In October 2012, Ireland’s first finding of Ash Dieback disease, caused by the fungus Chalara fraxinea, was confirmed in Co. Leitrim at a site planted in 2009 with saplings from a consignment imported from continental Europe. The disease causes significant damage to ash trees and has spread rapidly in continental Europe, where it is now widespread in several countries.

Since October 2012, my Department has been carrying out a nationwide survey of ash forests which are known to have been planted with saplings imported from the continent in recent years. My Department has also extended the scope of the survey work to cover ash plantations established since 1992 and are surveying AEOS and REPS plantings.

In order to mitigate the risk of infected ash stock entering the country and causing further outbreaks of the disease, my Department introduced legislation on 26^th October and 6^th November 2012, under the Destructive Insects and Pests Acts 1958 and 1991 (Chalara fraxinea) Order 2012 and Order no. 2, 2012. This legislation prohibits the importation of ash trees from areas known to be infected with the disease. Similar legislation has been introduced in Northern Ireland in order to implement an all-island approach to this problem.

This prohibition applies to all ash wood unless the wood is:

a) accompanied by a plant passport or equivalent documentation stating that it originates in an area known to be free from Chalara fraxinea , or

b) squared so as to remove entirely the rounded surface, or

c) bark-free, with a water content less than 20%, or

d) if sawn, kiln-dried to below 20% moisture content.

Before the above mentioned legislation was introduced, officials of my Department notified the European Commission and the other Member States of the first finding of Chalara fraxinea in Ireland. These parties were informed of the actions taken to destroy the material and of my Department’s intention to take emergency measures under the EU Plant Health Directive to prevent the further introduction of Chalara fraxinea.

The Department’s forestry officials continue to work with forestry contractors and the owners of affected plantations to remove the ash trees on all infected sites and replace the affected stock with an appropriate alternative species. A Reconstitution Scheme has been put in place in order to provide the supports necessary for the forestry sector to remove and replace diseased ash stock from the national forestry estate.

I can assure the Deputy that my Department is doing everything it can to address the threat posed by Chalara fraxinea and in this regard, the Department is working closely with the authorities in Northern Ireland on an all island approach to the matter.