Minister rejects call for roadside tree cutting scheme for Mayo farmers
Minister of State, Niall Collins informs Ballina councillors that his department will not fund a scheme to grant aid tree cutting
A Government minister has informed Mayo councillors that there is no funding available for the removal of roadside trees and the responsibility lies with the landowner.
Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Niall Collins TD informed councillors in Ballina that his department will not be making funding available to assist landowners remove roadside trees and landowners should take all 'reasonable steps to ensure that the trees do not present a hazard'.
The Limerick-based TD was responding to a motion passed at the meeting of Ballina Municipal District held in June calling for the Minister for Agriculture to introduce a scheme for farmers to grant aid in tree cutting along roads.
In correspondence to the councillors, Minister Collins reminded them that as a matter of law, the care and management of trees adjacent to roads is the responsibility of the landowner on whose land the roadside trees are growing.
“This responsibility includes the preservation, felling, cutting, lopping, trimming or removal of any such tree, shrub, hedge or other vegetation' in question. It is thus advisable that landowners make themselves aware of the full legal extent of their land ownership and of any obligations arising from this. The implementation of the legislation on the management or removal of dangerous roadside trees is the responsibility of the local authority, in its capacity as the relevant road authority.
“Should a potential hazard or risk be identified, remedial action will be required which is specialised work and for which professional engagement is advisable,” he wrote.
The Fianna Fáil minister stated that trees that are dangerous to persons using the public road on account of age or condition, do not require a felling licence.
“My Department does not offer funding for the removal of roadside trees but has published guidance on the subject of roadside trees,” he adding that this publication provides information on specific issues related to health and safety in tree work and gives practical guidance to those working with chainsaws taking out hazardous trees.
Fine Gael councillor John O'Hara has put forward a notice of motion for next Wednesday's monthly meeting of the Ballina Municipal District questioning why nothing has been done to cut back trees in the district.
“The council has said they could trim back or take down the trees, but nothing has been done and as the winter is coming, they are getting more dangerous by the day,” he stated in his notice of motion.
In response, Theresa Durkin, Senior Executive Engineer with Mayo County Council replied that landowners are responsible for the removal of trees on private land but they hope to assist some deal with overgrown hedges over the coming months.
“Contact has been made with somе landowners to address overgrown hedges and trees, and it is hoped that works to the same will advance over the coming months in conjunction with the general hedge trimming programmе,” she stated.