Dr. Frank O'Mara:

Hedgerows are a hugely valuable resource in the country in terms of their contribution to biodiversity, wildlife and the fact that they provide routes for wildlife to travel from one area to another. There are over 600,000 km of hedgerows in this country, which is a huge resource. The issue with a lot of the hedges is that the management of them could be improved in both their operation as a stock-proof barrier and in the amount of carbon they hold and their contribution to biodiversity. We have a very active programme of good hedgerow management. We have a hedgerow week every year where we put a big focus on talking to farmers and contractors about the best way to cut and manage hedges. We have seen a lot of improvement with the way hedges are managed on some farms, which is very welcome. A lot of new hedges have been planted, which is also very welcome. The planting of additional hedges is one of the measures introduced by the new scheme called ACRES.

The Deputy asked whether an opportunity has been lost. It certainly is an opportunity and Teagasc is keen to see the best management practices for hedgerows taking place on farms.