Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 11 July 2024
304. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if, in conjunction with other Departments or agencies, further consideration can be given to assisting people with the costs of felling small numbers of trees with ash dieback, where such people do not have plantations and are not participants in any Department scheme, and may have a very small number of trees; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30823/24]
View answerMy Department has introduced a comprehensive Action Plan on Ash Dieback which provides comprehensive supports to landowners who planted ash plantations under a grant-aided scheme overseen by my Department.
While I am aware all landowners with ash trees are impacted by ash dieback, 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).
