Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 22 January 2025
1100. Deputy Danny Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the funding or schemes available to deal with cutting and clearing ash dieback from a residential premises; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1331/25]
View answer1109. Deputy Niall Collins asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he is aware of the number of landowners nationwide who have trees which are non-commercial plantations impacted by ash dieback adjacent to public roads; if he has assessed the associated potential risk to road safety; if he would consider a scheme to help landowners with the cost of removal of their impacted trees; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1395/25]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 1100 and 1109 together.
Since the first finding of ash dieback disease in Ireland, my Department has provided support to owners of ash plantations impacted by ash dieback disease, currently through the Reconstitution Ash Dieback Scheme 2023-2027 and the Climate Action Performance Payment Scheme.
My Department does not offer funding for the removal of roadside trees or trees outside of forests, but has 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 it can be found on my Department’s website.
As a matter of law, the care and management of trees adjacent to roads is the responsibility of the landowner on whose land the roadside trees are growing. It is advisable that landowners make themselves aware of the full legal extent of their land ownership and of any obligations arising from this.
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. 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.
