Hurley Players' Ash Dieback Fears Eased

Forestry Minister Michelle O’Neill has sought to ease the fears of hurley players and hurley stick manufacturers with new legislation to deal with the threat of ash dieback.

Emergency legislation is being put in place to safeguard the import of ash wood and bark.

The move is part of a cross community, 'Fortress Ireland' approach in tandem with the Irish Republic to prevent the introduction of Chalara ash dieback, which is cause by the Chalara fraxinea fungus.

Minister O’Neill said: "After consulting stakeholders we found that there are regular imports of ash logs for manufacturing purposes, mainly hurley sticks, and for fire wood. As a potential pathway for the disease, it is an unacceptable risk. This new legislation means that from today, ash can only be imported under certain technical conditions as set out in the order."

The Minister added: "I believe this is a proportionate response to the risk of introducing disease in wood, but which will allow manufacturers to continue producing hurley sticks."

Logs of ash with bark attached can now only be imported into the island of Ireland if they are accompanied by an official statement that the wood originates in an area known to be free from Chalara fraxinea.

But earlier this week the Irish Independent reported a case of the disease had been confirmed in County Leitrim.

A spread of the disease could cause problems in Ireland similar to those in Great Britain, where 100,000 cases have already been reported, or in Denmark, where ash-tree losses of up to 90% in some areas have been reported.

(IT/GK)