There is no assistance available for landowners hit with diseased trees

There is no help available from Kildare County council to deal with ash dieback - a fungal disease which destroys ash trees and was first detected here in 2012.

According to KCC, it is only responsible for trees with the disease that it owns.

KCC official Celina Barrett told a county council meeting that it is not possible to monitor all trees with dieback but “where concerns are expressed about any trees or issues are noticed with trees as part of the ongoing maintenance of parks and open spaces these are inspected and programmed for works or removal.”

She also said some funding is provided by the Department of Agriculture and added that it is a national issue.

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Farmers have expressed concern about the problem and Fianna Fáil councillor Brian Dooley said the increasing frequency of stormy weather combined with ash dieback will lead to more trees falling.

Cllr Noel Heavey described ash dieback as the equivalent of foot and mouth disease for animals.

Dead trees have to be taken down and there is a cost to this, he told a KCC meeting.

Cllr Brendan Weld called for farmers to be allowed to burn these trees to help prevent the spread of the disease and Cllr Bill Clear predicted that there will be “a lot of blank sections in fields and hedges.”

Cllr Seamie Moore called for a tree replacement initiative for farmers with hedgerows.