Mayo councillor makes appeal as hedge-cutting deadline looms

Mayo County Councillor Chris Maxwell has appealed for the extension of the deadline for hedge-cutting by a minimum two weeks in order to stop dangerous situations on the county’s backroads from continuing.

Councillor Maxwell is making the appeal on the back of a dangerous incident where multiple school buses saw their mirrors damaged by debris caused by heavy winds last weekend.

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There are many reports of debris coming loose which was already partially dislodged by Storm Éowyn.

Now, with the deadline of February 28, it’s a race against time to get loose hedges causing danger for drivers and pedestrians removed.

The need for immediate action is lost on Cllr Maxwell.

“It’s the kids going to school in these buses that I’m afraid for,” he stated on MidWest Radio.

“I’ve been onto the council this morning. we’ve actually drove it (the Kilsallagh Road). We see where the problems are. We hope that we’ll get the hedge-cutter back in time by Friday. It’s needed in other places, this is not alone in the Kilsallagh area.”

“It's time they woke up to this, because the safety of people is paramount.”

A reminder to all land and property owners/occupiers that the hedge cutting season ends on Friday February 28th.

From this date until the end of August hedge cutting is not permitted. pic.twitter.com/zu3zneFyIj

— Mayo County Council (@MayoCoCo) February 26, 2025

He believes that extending the deadline by two weeks to March 14 would give those involved enough time to finish the clean-up job.

“We need to get an extension not alone in the Louisburgh region but across Mayo,” he said.

“I proposed a month, but even a fortnight would probably give us enough time to get the machinery in tidy the place up, and leave it safe.”

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While this issue is one which is paramount at present, it is indicative to a need to abolish the deadline in its entirety, according to the Louisburgh native.

“Why couldn't we have a situation in place where they keep a machine in each county to keep the hedges trimmed back around the clock during the year?”

“It's in summertime that all the major growth occurs. Every year you hear councillors across Ireland calling for the hedges to be done in terms of safety.”