Forest Health

Ireland’s forest health status overall is relatively good, largely as a consequence of our island status, the relative newness of the forest estate and the implementation of import controls. Ireland does not have the range of forest pests and diseases that are endemic on the Continent and further afield. However, serious threats from pests and diseases are on the increase due to globalisation and trade and the impacts of climate change. In recent years there have been a number of disease outbreaks in trees and forests, most notably Ash Dieback Disease caused by the fungus Hymenoscyphus fraxineus and Phytophthora ramorum, a fungus-like organism, that can damage and kill plants and trees it infects.

The role of stakeholders

The Department’s Plant Health and Biosecurity Strategy sets out the importance of plant health biosecurity for Ireland and identifies the key importance of the role of stakeholders in this regard.

DAFM values its many stakeholders and is committed to keeping all interested individuals, groups and organizations informed and involved in plant health biosecurity.

Active stakeholder involvement and constructive input is needed to develop fit-for-purpose policies and legislation. It is also critically important that all stakeholders are aware of the risks and threats to our plant health biosecurity and that information on these risks is available. Simple actions such as sourcing plants from trusted home producers, avoiding taking plants, flowers and fruit back to Ireland from holidays abroad or cleaning your boots after a forest walk all contribute to maintaining plant health biosecurity.

For those stakeholders working in the forest sector the Department will continue to coordinate the establishment of training initiatives to ensure that stakeholders employed in the sector are equipped with the appropriate skills and knowledge to discharge their forest health responsibilities.

In this Trader Information section forest sector traders will find information relating to

• Registration with the Department.
• Requirements and responsibilities if operating as Professional Operator.
• Requirements and responsibilities if operating as Professional Operator and issuing Plant Passports;
• Requirements if importing controlled forestry plants, wood and wood products from third countries;
• Requirements if exporting forestry plants wood and wood products for which a Phytosanitary Certificate is required.

Traders are reminded to refer to this section for updates through Trader Notices and otherwise on a regular basis. Information relating to ISPM 15 is available elsewhere on this web-page.

Registration and Authorisation for Plant Health

Under the requirements of European legislation individuals and companies working in the forest sector have certain responsibilities as defined in the legislation by the designation “Professional Operator”. Please go to the link “Am I a Professional Operator?”

If you are a Professional Operator you may be required to register for Plant Health with the Department. Please go to the link “How Do I Register for Plant Health?”

If you are a Professional Operator and you need to issue Plant Passports you will need to be authorised by the Department and become an “Authorised Operator?” Please go to the link “How do I become authorised to issue Plant Passports?”

Forestry Professional Operators & Regulation (EU) 2016/2031

Forestry Professional Operators should also see the document below titled:

“Forestry Professional Operators & Regulation (EU) 2016/2031 on protective measures against pests of plants: Responsibilities, Registration, Authorisation”

This document explains the requirements of Regulation (EU) 2016/2031, specifically providing information for all Forestry Professional Operators and explaining the need for Forestry Professional Operators for Registration and for certain Registered Professional Operators to become Authorised.

Assessment of Competency to Issue Plant Passports for Forestry Plants, Wood and Wood Products

To access the competency assessment, please use the following link to the EU survey site: Forestry Professional Operator Assessment.

Please note this site does not support the use of the Internet Explorer browser.

Please read the Technical Guidance Document and the How Do I Become Authorised to Issue Plant Passports? document before attempting the assessment.

Note: The pass mark is 80% and the result will be generated automatically. There is no limit on the number of attempts. Company name, email address and Plant Health Registration number of the Professional Forestry Operator will be required to complete assessment.

Trader Notices 2025

Trader Notices 2024

Trader Notices 2023

Trader Notices 2021

Trader Notices 2020

Forest Health Notices

A new EU Plant Health Regulation Regulation(EU)2016/2031came into operation on 14th of December 2019. The objectives of the new Regulation are:

• Better protection of EU Plant Health

• More focus on proactive action

• Compliance with international plant health standards (International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC)

The new Regulation focuses on reducing the risk of introducing quarantine pests to the EU as follows:

• focusing attention on high risk plants,

• developing a list of EU priority pests,

• expanding the range of plant operators to be registered with the competent authority,

• applying stricter Protected Zone requirements, and

• requiring all plants for planting to be accompanied with a Plant Passport.

Under the New Regulation plant health will, for the first time, be subject to the Official Controls Regulation Regulation EU)2017/625 which details specifications and requirements around Border Control Posts (BCPs) and Official Controls on imports and Authorised Operators.

These Regulations are given effect in Irish Law under S.I. 459 of 2020.

S.I. No. 459/2020

Welcome to Forest Health News. Here you will find the latest news and information relating to forest and tree health issues and developments internationally and nationally, in order to create awareness and provide stakeholders with the very latest information.

• Monterey Pine Engraver (Pseudips mexicanus) discovered in Co Clare

Recording of the 2023 Plant Health Webinar – Oak Processionary Moth

In follow up to the 2023 outbreak of Oak Processionary Moth recording of the Plant Health Webinar – Oak Processionary Moth, from 4th July 2023 is available here:

At this webinar you hear from our plant scientists and inspectors about oak processionary moth, and how the 2023 outbreak is being managed by the Department.

In November 2019 DAFM launched its Plant Health and Biosecurity Strategy. This strategy outlines the importance of plant health biosecurity for Ireland, and will help ensure that all stakeholders are aware of the risks to plant health in Ireland, and their role and responsibilities to reduce those risks.

The Strategy is underpinned by key strategic principles around Anticipating Risk, implementing Surveillance and Management as well as building Awareness and Communication.

In this section, information notes on pests relevant to Irish Forestry will be located and updated. Information on Union Quarantine Pests, Priority Pests, Protected Zone Quarantine Pests and Regulated non quarantine pests is also detailed below.

What are Union Quarantine Pests, Priority Pests, Protected Zone Quarantine Pests and Regulated non quarantine pests?

Union quarantine pests: These are pests which are not present at all in the EU territory or, if present, just locally and under official control. Strict measures must be taken to prevent their entry or further spread within the EU due to their increased risk for plant health. These pests have to be eradicated immediately if detected.

Priority Pests: A subset of union quarantine pests have been identified and listed as Priority Pests as their potential economic, environmental or social impact is the most severe in respect of the Union territory

Protected zone quarantine pests: These are pests which are present in most parts of the Union, but still known to be absent in certain demarcated areas called 'protected zones'. These pests are thus not allowed to enter and spread within these protected zones. Measures are taken (such as prohibition or restriction of movement of host plants / plant products, surveys, etc.) to avoid the introduction of these pests into the protected zones or to ensure their eradication if found present in these zones.

Regulated non quarantine pests (RNQP): These are pests that are not quarantine pests but are subject to phytosanitary measures because their presence in plants for planting results in economically unacceptable impacts.

7.1 Pseudips mexicanus

What are quarantine pests?

Quarantine pests are harmful organisms that are either not present in the EU or not widely distributed and under official control. You can make a report to the Department if you suspect an outbreak of quarantine tree or forest pest or disease. This can be done by mobile phone on the Tree Check App or by directly contacting the relevant division.

What should you do?

TreeCheck allows members of the public to report suspected cases of disease or insect attack of any tree species. Using a GPS-enabled smartphone the location of the suspect quarantine pest or disease and tree/forest location may also be recorded by the app to allow a follow-up inspection by inspectors if needed.

ISPM 15 is an international phytosanitary measure developed by the International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC) that sets down standards for treatment and marking of Wood Packaging Material (WPM) and affects all WPM (pallets, crates, dunnage etc.) used in international trade.

The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) is the designated NPPO for the IPPC in Ireland. The implementation of ISPM 15 as a manufacturing standard for WPM is overseen by DAFM’s Forestry Inspectorate.

More information on ISPM 15 can be found here: gov - Wood Packaging Material and ISPM 15 (www.gov.ie).