Plant Diseases.

Tuesday, 14 December 2004

Questions (238)

John Deasy

Question:

261 Mr. Deasy asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food the details of the survey carried out by her Department on the presence here of the disease, phytophthora ramorum (details supplied); the steps she intends to take to prevent the spread of this disease; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [33297/04]

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Written answers

Minister for Agriculture and Food (Mary Coughlan)

Phytophthora ramorum was first detected in the EU in 2000. It has been found to be damaging rhododendron and viburnum plants and may possibility affect other species.

Following the discovery of the disease in the UK in May 2002, the European Commission introduced emergency measures that came into force on 1 November 2002. These measures included the application of the plant passport system to plants of rhododendron spp, other than rhododendron simsii, and plants of viburnum.

In Ireland the fungus has been found at three locations in the wild on rhododendron only. Some 31 incidences have occurred in garden centres-nurseries on rhododendron and viburnum. All plants that tested positive have been or are in the process of being removed and destroyed. To date there have been no positive findings on oak or any other tree species.

There are a number of control mechanisms in place to prevent the introduction and spread of sudden oak death in Ireland. A Statutory Instrument (SI 578 of 2004) was recently signed to give effect to Commission Decision 2004/426 on provisional emergency measures to prevent introduction and spread of this disease. This legislation provides for controls on the movement of rhododendron and viburnum within the EU including from the UK through the plant passport system; for import controls into the EU on susceptible plants and wood from areas of the USA where the disease is known to occur; and a provision for official surveys for the fungus to be carried out in all member states. I am increasing our levels of vigilance and surveillance and mechanisms are in place to isolate, manage and where possible eradicate any instances found in Ireland.

Table: Monitoring results for the presence of Phytophthora ramorum on the territory of the Member States in 2004

	Nurseries and Garden Centres	Public Green Sites (Parks, . . .)	Forestry Sites
Country	No. of visual inspections and list of species involved*	No. of laboratory analyses of samples taken and list of species involved*	No. of outbreak sites and list of the species involved*	No. of visual inspections and list of species involved*	No. of laboratory analyses of samples taken and list of species involved*	No. of outbreak sites and list of the species involved*	No. of visual inspections and list of species involved*	No. of laboratory analyses of samples taken and list of species involved*	No. of outbreak sites and list of the species involved*
Ireland	42	42	3	211	211	1	285	285	1

*See following for list of species involved.

Table of Results for 2004.

	All areas	Garden Centre/ Nurseries	Public/ Private Parks	Forest/ Wild
Number of Samples	538	42	211	285
Number Positive Samples	12	7	3	2
Number Sites Inspected	118	17	41	60
Number Outbreak Sites	5	3	1	1

Positives only found on Rhododendron spp. in 2004.

List of Species.
	Number Samples
Species	All Areas	Nurseries and Garden Centres Public Sites	Public Green Sites (Parks, . . .)	Forestry Sites
Arbutus	1	1
Azalea	1	1
Camellia	9	2	7
Castanea	1	1
Pieris	1		1
Quercus	13		4	9
Rhododendron	468	30	191	247
Viburnum	42	7	35
Vaccinium	3			3