Funding call as storms shine light on extent of ash dieback

STORMS which left a trail of destruction in its wake in the south-west and across Ireland exposed hundreds of ash trees infected with the harmful Ash dieback disease.

That’s according to Fine Gael Senator Tim Lombard who has called on Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage Darragh O’Brien to put a fund in place so local authorities can carry out surveys to identify ash dieback in roadside trees, and to have them removed to prevent the problem spreading.

Ash dieback is a fungal disease which has devastated Ireland’s native ash over the past decade, causing them to die. The disease was brought to Ireland on imported European plants.

In the wake of Storm Isha and Storm Jocelyn, Sen Lombard said a light was shone on infected ash.

‘I was contacted by a number of landowners who told me that many of the roadside ash trees that fell in the wake of Storm Isha appeared perfectly healthy but were found to be infected with this serious disease,’ Sen Lombard said.

‘Ash trees are most common in our hedgerows and often found along our roads. This realisation shows the need for more regular inspection of roadside Ash trees.

‘I think it’s important to remember that this isn’t just an issue for landowners. Many homeowners may have an Ash tree in their roadside garden. There is a potential liability here for both landowners and homeowners.

‘While there is an Ash dieback scheme in place for plantations, there is nothing for roadside trees.’

He called on the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage needs to intervene.

‘Minister O’Brien should put in place a special fund to allow local authorities to carry out surveys to identify Ash dieback in roadside trees. Additional financial supports should be allocated for the safe removal of trees which are weakened from the disease.

‘Met Eireann recorded hurricane- strength gusts at weather stations during Storm Isha. Wind speeds reached 124 km p/h in areas under status red warning.

‘Local authorities, and emergency services reported fallen trees all over the country. In many areas fallen trees accounted for road closures. By minimising the risk of trees falling, we can remove a major health and safety hazard from our roads particularly during the severe weather conditions like those brought on by Storm Isha and those predicted for Storm Jocelyn and future extreme weather events.’

Meanwhile the the threat posed by another pest was in focus at the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine meeting on the the issue.

The spruce bark beetle is causing fears for the health of Ireland’s spruce forests. The beetles live beneath the bark of Sitka and Norway spruce.

The beetle has devastated forests in England and there are fears of importing the disease from Scotland. Ireland currently imports from the west of Scotland and though the area has been deemed as still disease-free, its path through the UK is concerning.

Spruce forests account for approximately 65% of the private grant-aided forest estate, which is predominantly owned and managed by farmers.

‘This is the equivalent to nearly 200,000 ha of forest land and shows the potential risk to the Ireland’s forest industry should the spruce bark beetle take hold,’ IFA president Francie Gorman told a Joint Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine meeting on the the issue late last month.

‘A spruce bark beetle outbreak would cause extensive economic loss to the forest industry, but it would be farmers that would bear the brunt of the economic consequences.’

The IFA has called for a spruce bark beetle task force to review monitoring, surveillance and inspection programmes in Scotland and in Irish ports, and to introduce additional biosecurity measures or adapt legislation. It is seeking a temporary suspension of imports, amid fears of repeating what it termed the mistakes of the ‘ash dieback debacle’.

‘If we do not have a temporary suspension and if the bark beetle comes in here, the cost to the industry will far outweigh any cost that will accrue because of a temporary suspension,’ Mr Gorman told the committee.