Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 5 December 2023
443. Deputy Brian Leddin asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the financial supports that will be provided to farmers for the safe removal of diseased ash trees on road-fronting farmland in circumstances where farmers are not trained to remove such trees safely and cannot afford to pay a contractor to do so; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53666/23]
View answerI am aware that as ash dieback disease progresses nationally and within individual ash plantations, the potential health and safety risks associated with forest plantations, roadside and parkland ash trees will become an issue of increasing importance for landowners, workers and visitors.
My Department does not have responsibility for the removal of roadside trees or for private homeowners living in the countryside with ash trees in their rural gardens. As with any other health and safety matter, site-specific issues together with any measures, including any risk assessments required, are in the first instance the responsibility of the individual landowner.
In relation to roadside trees, 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. He further stated that 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.
However, my Department, last year, published guidance on the subject of roadside trees - “A Guide for Landowners to Managing Roadside Trees”. This publication provides information on how to identify trees that have ash dieback and outlines specific issues related to health and safety in tree work. It also gives practical guidance to those working with chainsaws taking out hazardous trees. My Department produced this publication in partnership with the Tree Council of Ireland and can be found on my Departments website at: gov.ie - A Guide for Landowners to Managing Roadside Trees (gov.ie)
