Tom Barry (Cork East, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Reference was made to hedgerows. In the ecologically focused areas we have many hedgerows but they are more the butt of a ditch than anything else. At the moment we are not allowed to do much to poorly formed hedgerows containing only a few alders. These are not even hedgerows and they do not block cattle and so on. Is Dr. Sheridan suggesting we should go back and try to renew them by planting whitethorns and blackthorns and make them functioning ditches? Would that increase their biodiversity or make them more valuable?