Leitrim faces growing crisis as diseased trees threaten road and personal safety

Ash trees infected by ash dieback have been a source of serious concern in Leitrim for years, with the county being the first in Ireland to experience the disease.

Repeated calls have been made at Council level urging the Government to provide supports for landowners to remove the dying trees, but those calls have repeatedly fallen on deaf ears. 

With around 10 percent of forests in Leitrim made up of ash trees, and around 90 percent of them now infected, it is inevitable that more and more trees will fall across the county, posing a significant risk of devastation wherever they land.

Cllr Eddie Mitchell has issued the latest call for action on trees affected by ash dieback. He asked that the Council seek support from experts who have developed up-to-date knowledge of the fungus so that an informed policy can be created on the risks posed to road users by roadside ash trees.

Cllr Mitchell also noted that there is some hope, as many trees that have retained good leaf cover may show signs of resistance, but warned that many others are succumbing to the disease.

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“There’s going to be a tipping point, and there’s a lot of trees that are probably going to fall,” Cllr Mitchell said. 

“I’m asking the Council to engage with the people who are doing the research and help us develop a strategy in Leitrim. We have a responsibility here and should take action,” he added.

Cllr Mitchell’s motion was supported by numerous councillors, including Cllr O’Rourke, who pointed out that branches are falling from infected trees with the potential to damage vehicles or injure someone. “We need to have answers ready as to what support, if any, is coming from the Department of Forestry,” he said.

Engineer with the Roads Section of Leitrim County Council, Darragh O’Boyle, explained that the Council has sent out 400 letters to people who have applied for the hedge-cutting grant scheme, each including leaflets with information on ash dieback. 

He said the Council can offer assistance such as advice or traffic management when it comes to the removal of trees on private property or roads. However, he also noted that the ultimate responsibility for removing trees lies with landowners, a costly burden.

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“Any affected trees on Leitrim County Council property have been, and will continue to be, dealt with by pollarding or removal. All landowners can contact the Roads Department or the Environmental Department of Leitrim County Council for advice on how to deal with affected trees,” a Council response stated.

Cllr Mitchell went further, proposing that a letter be sent to the Government asking if Leitrim could become a pilot area in developing a solution to ash dieback.

“At some point they’re all going to fall and people don’t have the capacity to take them down. We’re talking about a potential crisis that we’re going to be at the forefront of because Leitrim is where the ash dieback started,” he said. This proposal was seconded by Cllr James Gilmartin.