Sir, – As we enter the season for planting trees, it is timely to note that the presence of a “new” fungal disease, ash dieback (Chalara fraxinea), has been widely reported in the last few weeks.
Outbreaks have been detected across Britain and, unfortunately, in Ireland. The response of the relevant European authorities to this disease has been ineffective.Since its discovery in Poland in 1992, ash dieback has devastated Europe’s forests, killing 90 per cent of ash trees in Denmark alone. Strangely, given the fact that Department of Agriculture officials assure me they have been monitoring the disease’s progress, limits on the importation of saplings have still not been imposed. The “voluntary moratorium” that Ireland’s plant suppliers have been asked to respect is not enough, especially as Coillte’s decision to stop selling trees to the public has accelerated demand for imports in the last few years.Urgent action is required if we are not to lose our native ash trees to a preventable, imported disease.
How much longer will our Government dither before banning imports of ash trees from mainland Europe. Will action, if it comes, be too late? – Yours, etc,