Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

This amendment goes to the heart of my argument. What is the problem the Minister is seeking to address in this section and the Bill as a whole? That is what I am trying to tease out. The Minister can correct me if I am wrong in my understanding that her intention is to address road safety issues. This is a proposal to improve road safety. I do not understand. I do not believe the Minister would say this is a proposal to improve the protection of wildlife. It is being introduced to address road safety issues. The argument being made in amendment No. 27 is that if that is the Minister's intention, the best approach is to ensure the local authority can act to direct a landowner to address a road safety issue or take action itself. Section 70(2)(b) of the Roads Act 1993 allows a local authority to issue a direction to a landowner. Section 70(9) of the same Act allows a local authority to take action. I mention this as a means of outlining the purpose of the amendment. I return to the question that is at the centre of my argument: why are we giving people the freehold ability to cut hedgerows in August? It is being done to address a road safety issue when it could be addressed by the local authority directing the landowner to take action or taking action itself in circumstances where there is a clear road safety issue. Why is the Minister undermining the provisions of the Wildlife Acts when other mechanisms are open to her to achieve the same effect?