Marc Ó Cathasaigh (Waterford, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

I would say that 500 m is a fair size of a hedge to be removing. There must be bigger fields in County Donegal than I previously thought. The removal of hedgerows is an issue, but management is also an issue. We all know the value that hedgerows have and we talk about the potential for carbon sequestration and for promoting biodiversity, but are we seeking to promote the management of our hedgerows, and not just their removal? There are some fantastic traditional techniques that help rejuvenate hedges and make them much more stock-proof, while also promoting those biodiversity elements and really adding to the carbon sequestration potential. I know we are moving more towards a results-based model in our agri-environmental schemes. That is most welcome, because with the green low-carbon agri-environment scheme, GLAS, in some cases there was something planted, then removed, then replanted for the next round of GLAS. I know that we are moving to a more long-term view of results-based schemes. That is welcome. Hedgerows offer a huge opportunity in that regard.

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