Josepha Madigan (Dublin Rathdown, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

We have already had a public consultation process. The nesting season now occurs earlier, as reflected in the Wildlife (Amendment) Act 2000 which provided for an earlier start to the closed season. That Act should also have provided for the closed season to end on 31 July in line with nesting patterns. As Deputies will be aware, August is a busy farming month. As many farmers harvest crops, spread soil nutrients and transport livestock in August, they need access to the roads. Therefore, the decision to allow them to cut hedges during August is a practical one from the perspective of the safety of road users. August is also the peak month for tourism, with many tourists travelling in cars on unfamiliar regional and secondary roads or walking on such roads. For road safety reasons, it is sensible to allow hedges to be cut during August. In recent years the unpredictable winter weather has typically resulted in the hedge cutting season being reduced by one third. The agricultural machinery involved in hedgerow trimming is very expensive. Many operators work long hours during the open season to ensure work is completed. August is a month during which we have between 12 and 14 hours of daylight. The amount of daylight continues to reduce when August is over. In the interests of the safety of machinery operators and motorists, hedge cutting should be allowed in the month of August. Fly-tipping which is a growing problem in the countryside is another issue that should be taken into account. Community groups that voluntarily clean roadside ditches have noticed that ditches which are regularly cut and maintained are less likely to be used as a dumping ground. The earlier opening of the hedge cutting season will facilitate earlier cutting and maintenance of hedges. In addition, the closed period should not apply where local authorities and landowners identify road safety issues such as the need to improve sight lines.