The Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine with responsibility for forestry, Shane McEntee TD, today introduced important legislation regarding the importation of ash wood into the country.

Similar measures are also being introduced today in Northern Ireland. Under the new Regulations, ash wood will be allowed into the country but only if it is from areas known to be free of the Chalara Ash Die Back disease or kiln dried or with the outer round surface (including bark) removed.

The purpose of the Regulations is to minimise the disease risk while permitting imports of ash wood in certain forms or from disease free areas. Many manufacturers are already importing hurley planks that meet these requirements and they can continue to do so. Others who, for example, import ash butts from areas where the disease is present will need to change their supply arrangements to comply with the new legislation.

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By way of assistance, Minister McEntee has met with Coillte who supply most of the domestically produced ash.

Announcing the new legislation today Minister McEntee said: "The legislation brought in today introduces strong legal measures for wood combined with the measures brought in last month for plants. This means that north and south of the border rules are in place to prevent the risk of the disease being imported into the island."

Minister McEntee added: "While I understand plants are the highest risk in terms of a pathway for the disease, wood is also a risk and I was particularly concerned with high risk unprocessed wood such as firewood entering the country from infected areas."

(CD/GK)