Tommy Broughan (Dublin North East, Labour)
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57. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the progress to date in controlling the Ash dieback disease from spreading further across the State; and if he will provide a breakdown of the numbers and locations of any further outbreaks of the disease since July 2013. [39151/13]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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The serious issue of Ash dieback has been raised on several occasions in this house and I must report that it continues to be of major concern to my Department.

The disease is relatively new to science and has spread rapidly in continental Europe over the past 10 years and is now widespread in several countries, including parts of Great Britain where it was first detected in 2012. Special national legislative measures were introduced in November 2012 under the Destructive Insects and Pest Acts 1958 and 1991 to regulate the import of ash seed, plants and wood. Similar legislation was introduced in tandem by Northern Ireland and in Great Britain.

Following confirmation of a finding of the disease in Ireland in October 2012 (on plants imported from continental Europe), a major winter survey of Ash plantations was undertaken, focusing on trees planted between 2008 and 2012. Following this survey further findings of the disease have been confirmed. The survey has now been broadened to an ongoing growing season survey of ash planted over a much wider period. In addition to the plantation survey, my officials are also surveying hedgerows, nurseries, roadside, landscape and farm plantings.

There have been a total of 96 confirmed findings located throughout the country. Of these, 11 were confirmed since July of this year. 3 of these most recent confirmations were in forestry plantations, 1 was in a horticultural nursery, 1 was located on a farm and the remaining 6 were in roadside plantings.

In terms of controlling the disease, arrangements have been put in place to remove all ash trees from the 39 forest sites where the disease has been confirmed and from the associated sites where trees from the same infected batches have also been planted. Eradication is also being carried out under Departmental supervision at the 57 non-forest locations (i.e. roadsides, horticultural nurseries, garden centres, AEOS/REPS farms and private gardens).

In addition to the 39 forest plantations that to date have tested positive there are 161 additional associated forest sites that were planted with ash from the same batches of trees, a total therefore of 200 sites that require clearance. Forest Service has worked with the forestry contractors, the IFA and the landowners to ensure as smooth a process as possible.

Finally, in March of this year the Department launched a reconstitution scheme to help forest owners participating in afforestation schemes who have been affected by Ash dieback. A grant of up to a maximum of €1,500 per ha is available to cover the cost of clearing the site. Additional funding is also available to cover the cost of replanting with an alternative species. So far 169 applications have been received for support under this scheme.