Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 16 January 2018
1347. Deputy Sean Sherlock asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he will consider a once-off tree topping grant for private landowners to safely top large trees on their property to protect communities and road users around the country; and if such a grant could be considered due to the amount of high wind storms that are occurring. [1015/18]
View answerThe improvement and maintenance of regional and local roads is a statutory function of each road authority in accordance with the provisions of Section 13 of the Roads Act 1993.
Works on regional and local roads are funded by local authorities' own resources supplemented by State grants. Within the overall resources available to it, the selection and prioritisation of works including the maintenance of road verges is a matter for each local authority.
Section 70 of the Roads Act 1993 sets out the responsibility of landowners 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 or interfere with the safe use of a public road or the maintenance of a public road.
A local authority can serve notice requiring a landowner to take action to address a hazard. This section also allows the relevant road authority to step in where a landowner fails or is unable to take action to remedy a hazard and to seek recovery of reasonable costs from the landowner. This is, therefore, a matter for management between the landowner and the relevant local authority.
As Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII) and the relevant local authority are responsible for maintenance of national roads, I have referred the Deputy's Question to TII for direct reply. If the Deputy does not receive a reply within 10 working days please advise my Office.
