Pádraig Mac Lochlainn (Donegal North East, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

The committee is sitting in public session in its capacity as the Joint Committee on Public Service Oversight and Petitions to record the decisions of the committee. The committee has received a total of 152 petitions to date since the launch of the petitions system. The secretariat has been examining them to establish the admissibility of the petitions and to establish how best to progress a petition for consideration by the joint sub-committee. Some 129 of the petitions received have been brought before the committee on at least one occasion. Of these, 61 were considered, a decision agreed upon and closed, 41 were inadmissible and, of the total figure, 51 were awaiting or still under consideration.

There is a total of nine petitions before us today. Following discussion, the decisions of the joint sub-committee can be recorded in public session, where members will again be given the opportunity to make points in regard to the petitions. The first petitions are in a group of three, comprising No. P00050/12, No. P00070/12 and No. P00071/12. These are three petitions relating to the height of, and overhanging, trees and their impact on neighbouring properties. It was agreed to group the three petitions together. They all concern the need for legislation to regulate the height of trees and hedges and to provide a mechanism for the resolution of complaints in regard to overhanging trees and hedges without having to engage in prolonged and costly litigation, with the attendant risks. Our committee has deliberated on this. I will now call Senator Ó Clochartaigh to record our decision.