I have received confirmation from the Dept. of Housing, Local Government & Heritage that hedge trimming on roads can be carried out all year round in the interest of public safety.
“I also received confirmation that hedge trimming can be carried out on farms in the ordinary course of agriculture and forestry as stated in the legislation which allows flexibility to farmers”.
“I have received many queries from farmers as their land is saturated from the prolonged period of heavy rainfall during the months of January and February. The most recent Met Éireann data for the period of January and February showed that the monthly rainfall totals were well above their Long-Term Average (LTA)”.
“The continuing high levels of rainfall has resulted in more flooding and poor conditions in many fields. This has severely impacted on the ability of farmers to carry out hedge management to fulfil their annual hedge management requirements”.
“The annual hedge maintenance work is vital so that sustainable stock-proof fencing can be maintained while preserving bio-diverse habitats in Irish hedgerows”.
“Given the extent of hedgerows that require management in Ireland, the working time calendar cannot be achieved in a practical and safe way this year to meet the needs of farmers, environmentalists and general road users due to the current weather constraints and therefore flexibility and understanding are required”.