Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 1 April 2014
617. Deputy James Bannon asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport his plans to implement legislation concerning the hazard posed by dangerous trees along the edges of public roadways; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15211/14]
View answerThe improvement and maintenance of national roads is a statutory function of each road authority in accordance with the provisions of Section 13 of the Roads Act 1993. Section 70 of the Roads Act 1993 sets out the responsibility of landowners and occupiers to take all reasonable steps to ensure that trees, hedges and other vegetation growing on their land are not, or could not become, a danger to people using a public road and or interfere with the safe use of a public road or the maintenance of a public road.
This section also allows the relevant road authority (i.e. the relevant local authority or the National Roads Authority) to step in where a landowner fails or is unable to take action to remedy a hazard. I have no plans to amend this legislation.
Under Section 19 (2) of the Roads Act 1993 the NRA may directly undertake certain roads functions where it considers that it would be more convenient, expeditious, effective or economical to do so. In this regard the NRA has arranged in recent times for multi-annual maintenance contracts to be put in place for certain motorways and dual carriageways. Separate to this, certain sections of motorway are also maintained by toll companies under PPP contracts.
