asked the Minister for Fisheries and Forestry if he is aware that 200 trees on the Dorney Court Estate, Shankill, County Dublin, most of them in excess of 100 years old and including oak, ash, sycamore, chestnut and scotch pine, will be felled within days; the action, if any, he intends taking to save and preserve the trees; and if he will make a statement in the matter.
Private Notice Questions. - County Dublin Tree Felling.
The company applied for a felling licence in respect of 102 trees on 22 December 1983. A prohibition order was issued in the normal way and served by the Garda on the company. The effect of this order was to prohibit any felling until the matter had been investigated by a forest and wildlife service inspector. Inspection took place on 9 and 19 January 1984. The inspector recommended a licence for 33 trees. These were numbered on a site map.
In the meantime the Department had brought the application to the notice of the local authority in case they wished to take any action from an amenity point of view. Their attention was drawn to the fact that the Minister for Fisheries and Forestry was not empowered to refuse a licence solely on amenity grounds and that it would, therefore, be a matter for the local authority either to make a tree preservation order under the Local Government and Planning Acts, or to allow the felling to take place.
Is the Minister aware that the residents of the Shankill area are not objecting in principle to the housing development? What they want is a combination of housing and the retention of all the trees. Can the Minister tell the House that he will request or direct the local authority to issue a preservation order? Is he aware that this is a beautiful linear forest and that it would be a tragedy to see these trees go on the basis of the willingness of the residents to accommodate the house builder on the one hand, and to preserve the trees on the other hand? Will he pre-empt this act of institutional violence or vandalism before it happens?
On 16 February Dublin County Council wrote to my office to say they had no objection to the removal of 33 trees. This is a matter for the local authority. They are the planning authority in the area. Beyond what I have said I fail to see where I might have any obligation in this matter. It is a planning matter. They could provide a full preservation order in the area as the planning authority. Beyond that my authority does not go.
Surely the answer is to revoke the tree felling licence. Is the Minister aware that a number of these trees were felled in advance of the issuing of the tree felling licence? Can the Minister say whether the licence has been issued?
The licence has been issued as the result of an inspection carried out. The planning permission was for a facility for partial felling. I have not seen the licence and I am not too sure how far this request went or what was meant by it. Dublin County Council are the planning authority in the area and they have no objection to the limited felling.
A Cheann Comhairle, I am grateful to you for your patience but this is a very serious and important matter.
It is becoming exhausted.
Can the Minister say who signed the tree felling licence?
A designated civil servant in my Department.
Is the Minister aware that only God can make a tree?
Was the Minister aware that this act of institutionalised violence was going on under his nose or under his desk? Can he assure me at this stage that something will be done? Can he introduce some form of stay? Can he bring the councillors who are a party to this attempted act of vandalism to their senses? Can anything be done to prevent it?
They are a Fine Gael-controlled council.
I am amazed that the Deputy left it until the felling has practically taken place before bringing it to my notice.
I can answer that, but that is not the issue. The Minister should not do the Coalition confusion bit.
It is the issue. Correspondence has taken place between my Department and the local authority.
Is the Minister aware of national tree week? Does he recognise this as the Coalition's contribution to national tree week?
The Deputy should be concerned at the lateness of the hour in bringing this to my notice.
(Interruptions.)
Arising from what the Minister has said——
Deputy Andrews should allow the Minister to answer.
I suggest that the Deputy has many colleagues on Dublin County Council who must have been aware of this and, possibly, gave approval to it.
This is developing into an argument.
This is a matter for the local authority but, to allay the Deputy's fears in relation to my responsibility, I should like to tell him that I will immediately undertake to pursue this matter with the local authority to the limit of my involvement in it in relation to my position.
I should like to remind the Minister that he has at least four public representatives in the constituency of Dún Laoghaire who must not have been doing their work because they did not bring this to his attention.
In fact, they have been in contact with me.
I am grateful to the Minister and I hope our joint efforts will succeed.
(Dún Laoghaire): In view of the statement made by Deputy Andrews that he was the only Member who brought the matter to the Minister's attention——
(Interruptions.)
(Dún Laoghaire): I want to put a question to the Minister. Deputy Andrews may not be aware that Deputy Cosgrave has a question on the Order Paper about this. I should like to ask the Minister if he is aware that this planning permission was granted as a result of a material contravention motion at Dublin County Council proposed by two colleagues from the Deputy's party from outside the area, one from north County Dublin and the other from west County Dublin.
I am calling on the Taoiseach to announce the Order Of Business. I will take other points later. I will listen to any reasonable and relevant points raised when we have disposed of the Order of Business.
All reasonable and relevant points.