Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 7 February 2024
398. Deputy Jennifer Whitmore asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine what advice and training is being provided to local authorities, landowners or contractors to assist his Departmental staff in suppressing regarding fireblight erwinia amylovora infections; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5327/24]
View answerPromoting and safeguarding plant health is a key strategic principle of the Plant Health and Biosecurity Strategy 2020-2025. Within the EU plant health is governed by the EU Plant Health Regulation 2031 of 2016 and the Official Controls Regulations 625 of 2017. My Department conducts annual plant health surveillance checks for plant pests and diseases, including Fireblight. Following confirmation of the presence of a pest such as Fireblight and in line with EU rules and this Departments plant health generic contingency plan (published on my Departments website) a “Demarcated area” consisting of an inner “infested zone” and an outer “buffer zone” is established in line with the known biology of the pest. Delimiting surveys are then conducted to establish the true extent of the outbreaks and can result in the revision of the size of infested and buffer zones, respectively.
This Department has published a factsheet in relation to Fireblight on our website. During delimiting surveys at Fireblight outbreaks in 2023, this factsheet together with a cover letter was distributed locally within the demarcated area informing recipients of the outbreak and actions to be taken and provided contact details for this Departments outbreak investigation team. Landowners or private residents directly affected by the outbreaks also received these details. Where outbreaks occurred in public parks/roadsides etc., officers form this Department engaged directly with local authority staff and their contractors.
