The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine has confirmed a finding of the disease (Chalara fraxinea) at a site in Co Leitrim in the past few days. The disease is known as ash dieback and it is a
The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine has confirmed a finding of the disease (Chalara fraxinea) at a site in Co Leitrim in the past few days. The disease is known as ash dieback and it is a first finding for Ireland. It causes significant damage and has spread rapidly in continental Europe where it is now widespread in several countries.
As a result of the detection, the Department is now working with the owner involved to destroy the material and remove the risk of the disease spreading. The Department is also investigating a number of other sites planted with imported ash trees from the same consignment which originated from continental Europe.
Emergency measures under the Plant Health Directive are also being introduced to try and contain the spread of this devastating disease. These new measures will require that any ash plants imported into the country come from an area known to be free of the disease. The Department is calling on the forest nursery trade and contractors to introduce a voluntary moratorium on imported stock from continental Europe with immediate effect.
Department officials have already been in contact with the forest nursery trade, hurley manu