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For Written Answer on : 28/05/2024
Question Number(s): 132 Question Reference(s): 23714/24
Department: Transport
Asked by: David Stanton T.D.
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QUESTION
To ask the Minister for Transport if he has issued any guidelines to local authorities with respect to the dangers posed by dead trees adjacent to public roads; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
REPLY
As Minister for Transport, I have responsibility for overall policy and exchequer funding in relation to the National Roads Programme. Under the Roads Acts 1993-2015 and in line with the National Development Plan (NDP), the operation and management of individual national roads is a matter for Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII), in conjunction with the local authorities concerned. This is also subject to the Public Spending Code and the necessary statutory approvals.
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 ‘the preservation, felling, cutting, lopping, trimming or removal of such tree, shrub, hedge or other vegetation’ in question.
As such, the implementation of the legislation and the management of hedge cutting operations is a matter for local authorities and landowners.
