Open meeting to be called to discuss damage by roadside trees in Mayo

THE Cathaoirleach of Mayo County Council has said he will call an open meeting to discuss problems caused by trees hanging over electricity cables throughout the county.

Thousands of people were left without electricity recently following Storm Éowyn, with many local representatives blaming the damage on falling trees.

Speaking at the monthly meeting of Ballina Municipal District Council, Cllr John O’Hara called for more funding to help cut back the trees that are hanging along roads. He also requested that the deadline for removing trees be extended by three months.

Under the Roads Act 1993 “the owner or occupier of land shall take all reasonable steps to ensure that a tree, shrub, hedge or other vegetation on the land is not a hazard or potential hazard to persons using a public road and that it does not obstruct or interfere with the safe use of a public road.”

Tree and hedge cutting is only permitted outside of the critical nesting period between March 1 and August 31 except for road safety purposes.

Trees outside urban areas can only be felled without a felling license in a number of specific circumstances. This includes trees within ten metres of a public road which ‘in the opinion of the owner (being an opinion formed on reasonable grounds), is dangerous to persons using the public road on account of its age or condition’.

Cllr O’Hara called on Mayo’s five TDs to lobby the government for more funding to address the issue.

“I am going to call an open meeting in two weeks’ time and let them come to it,” he said.

Orla Bourke, Senior Executive Engineer with Mayo County Council, asked that councillors highlight to the local authority any trees which may pose a danger to road users.