Written answers
Wednesday, 7 February 2024
Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine
Departmental Data
Jennifer Whitmore (Wicklow, Social Democrats)
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396. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of recorded/confirmed dates of fireblight erwinia amylovora infections detections by his Department in 2023 per county; the scale of each detection in terms of linear metres or hectares, species infected and whether sites of infection were in an agricultural/forestry setting; the recommended best practice methods for preventing or eradicating the disease, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5325/24]
Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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Promoting and safeguarding plant health is a key strategic principle of the Plant Health and Biosecurity Strategy 2020-2025. Within the EU, plant health, including plant pest outbreaks, is governed by Regulation (EU) 2016/2031 on protective measures against pests of plants.
In 2023 DAFM investigated twenty-one potential outbreaks of Fireblight (Erwinia amylovora (Burrill) Winslow et al.) of which seventeen were subsequently confirmed.
A summary of county and location type is provided in the Table below:
Table: County and type of location of n=17 Fireblight (Erwinia amylovora (Burrill) Winslow et al.) outbreaks investigated by DAFM in 2023.
| County | Type of Location |
|---|---|
| Kerry | Farm |
| Limerick | Garden Centre |
| S. Dublin | Industrial Estate |
| Donegal | Nursery |
| Kilkenny | Garden Centre |
| Galway | Roadside |
| Galway | Roadside |
| Laois | Nursery |
| N. Dublin | Roadside |
| N. Dublin | Roadside |
| N. Tipp | Nursery |
| S. Tipp | Public Park |
| N. Dublin | Public Park |
| Mayo | Garden Centre |
| Clare | Garden Centre |
| Laois | Garden Centre |
| Limerick | Garden Centre |
In line with EU rules, for each of the seventeen confirmed outbreak sites a “demarcated area” consisting of a 500m “infested zone” and a 5km “buffer zone” were established in line with the known biology of the pest. Delimiting surveys were then conducted to establish the true extent of the outbreaks. Of the seventeen outbreaks, delimiting surveys up to 1 km have been conducted at eleven outbreak sites. Delimiting surveys will resume during the Spring of 2024, when growing season resumes. Under EU rules a 24-month period from the official confirmation of the presence of the pest is permitted to complete surveillance and achieve eradication, where possible.
Pest eradication measures are set out in the Ireland's plant health generic contingency plan which is available on my Departments website.
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