Michael Collins (Cork South West, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I refer to a matter I raised earlier with the Minister concerning the hedge-cutting Bill, which comes under the heritage area of her Department. I presume most members are aware that we had lengthy discussions on the Bill in the committee and in the Dáil and Seanad. In the absence of the Chairman, I chaired a committee meeting during which we voted in a democratic process. Members had different views and everyone had an opportunity to speak. The democratic vote of the committee was carried forward to the Seanad and then passed in the Dáil. In the small print somewhere, the Minister evidently had the overriding responsibility to sign off on the decision. In fairness, it was the biggest slap in the face to democracy that could be given. In rural areas in particular the verges and hedges on the roadside need to be cut. We were not talking about hen farming. Families are driving along roads. Farmers and others are trying to cut overgrown areas on roads and crossroads with strimmers and hedge clippers. I do not want to insult anybody but my assumption is that the Minister lives in an area where there is a lot of tar and concrete and few, if any, verges. I live in a totally different area. The process we went through was democratic, yet the Minister waited for a week into the summer break before changing a democratic decision with the stroke of a pen. She kicked democracy out the window. That was utterly irresponsible as far as I am concerned. It put many lives at risk. One has to live in a rural area to understand. I do not believe in chopping and cutting in a ridiculous way. I am talking about simple hedge-cutting. We voted for it in the committee. That was democracy at work. Surely to God, out of respect for the committee, the Minister could have come back here a week before the summer recess and put her ideas before the committee and allowed some bit of democracy to work. Perhaps she will elaborate on why she did not do so. As far as I am concerned, she threw the whole Bill in the bin. Verge cutting that was meant to take place on 1 August, which had been agreed here, has been put back to September, the same situation as we had previously. That is putting lives at risk and causing damage to vehicles. Perhaps the Minister will elaborate on why she made that decision.