Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 23 May 2024
241. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if assistance will be given to farmers who do not have a forest plantation or are not availing of any forestry schemes to have ash dieback trees removed where such trees pose a danger to public safety due to their locations along public roads; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23332/24]
View answer242. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if his Department will urgently examine an expansion to the ash dieback scheme whereby all farmers and landowners would be eligible to receive support in removing dangerous roadside trees and replacing them with fresh plantings at alternative hedgerows away from the roadside. [23360/24]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 241 and 242 together.
My Department does not have responsibility for the removal or reconstitution of Ash trees for private homeowners and landowners with ash trees in their gardens or on individual holdings who did not plant under a Departmental ash scheme. My Department supported the Tree Council of Ireland in publishing guidelines for managing roadside trees. The document is available on the Tree Council of Ireland’s website www.treecouncil.ie and on the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine website www.gov.ie/en/publication/642e6-forestry/gov.ie - A Guide for Landowners to Managing Roadside Trees (www.gov.ie).
