A bacterial disease which affects whitethorn and over 200 plant species has been detected in 21 counties to date this year.
Outbreaks of Erwinia amylovora - commonly known as fire blight - were only reported in five counties in 2022, but this figure increased to 12 counties last year, according to the Department of Agriculture.
It has been detected in hawthorn, mountain ash and two species of garden plants, as well as apple and pear trees, over the past three years.
The disease can be lethal to susceptible tree varieties and there is no known treatment, with many infected plants not showing symptoms until they are under stress.
Infection can spread by pollinators, by wind and by rain, making the bacteria well-suited to surviving in Ireland’s climate.
Fire blight is classified by the Department as a quarantine pest and findings are eradicated in all areas bar Galway city, where the disease has been established since 2014.
The disease has been found in counties Carlow, Cavan, Clare, Dublin, Galway, Kerry, Kildare, Kilkenny, Limerick, Louth, Mayo, Meath, Monaghan, Offaly, Roscommon, Sligo, Tipperary, Waterford, Westmeath, Wexford and Wicklow.
Previous ACRES moves
Concerns had grown around a heightened risk of the fire blight being introduced through imported whitethorn stocks late last year after the Department waived the need for hedgerows planted under Agri-Climate Rural Environment Scheme (ACRES) to be of Irish provenance.
The move was made after native supplies were reportedly unable to keep pace with the demand for hedgerow stocks as planting deadlines loomed.
The Department subsequently announced in March of this year that the deadline for planting ACRES hedgerows was pushed back to March 2025.
Suspected findings of fire blight should be reported with pictures of the affected plant to plantsandpests@agriculture.gov.ie.
Read more
One-year extension to ACRES hedgerow and tree planting establishment deadline
Calls for a ban on imports of whitethorn as fireblight disease spreads
Disease risk from imported whitethorn
A bacterial disease which affects whitethorn and over 200 plant species has been detected in 21 counties to date this year.
Outbreaks of Erwinia amylovora - commonly known as fire blight - were only reported in five counties in 2022, but this figure increased to 12 counties last year, according to the Department of Agriculture.
It has been detected in hawthorn, mountain ash and two species of garden plants, as well as apple and pear trees, over the past three years.
The disease can be lethal to susceptible tree varieties and there is no known treatment, with many infected plants not showing symptoms until they are under stress.
Infection can spread by pollinators, by wind and by rain, making the bacteria well-suited to surviving in Ireland’s climate.
Fire blight is classified by the Department as a quarantine pest and findings are eradicated in all areas bar Galway city, where the disease has been established since 2014.
The disease has been found in counties Carlow, Cavan, Clare, Dublin, Galway, Kerry, Kildare, Kilkenny, Limerick, Louth, Mayo, Meath, Monaghan, Offaly, Roscommon, Sligo, Tipperary, Waterford, Westmeath, Wexford and Wicklow.
Previous ACRES moves
Concerns had grown around a heightened risk of the fire blight being introduced through imported whitethorn stocks late last year after the Department waived the need for hedgerows planted under Agri-Climate Rural Environment Scheme (ACRES) to be of Irish provenance.
The move was made after native supplies were reportedly unable to keep pace with the demand for hedgerow stocks as planting deadlines loomed.
The Department subsequently announced in March of this year that the deadline for planting ACRES hedgerows was pushed back to March 2025.
Suspected findings of fire blight should be reported with pictures of the affected plant to plantsandpests@agriculture.gov.ie.
Read more
One-year extension to ACRES hedgerow and tree planting establishment deadline
Calls for a ban on imports of whitethorn as fireblight disease spreads
Disease risk from imported whitethorn
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