Pippa Hackett (Green Party) | Oireachtas source

I suppose the Deputy's question did not specifically relate to roadside trees but it is an essential element of this context. As I said earlier, I think about one quarter of our trees, whether in hedges or out in the countryside, are ash. Ash dieback, therefore, is having a significant impact not only on plantation owners but in the wider countryside as well. We are, therefore, going to see a significant visual change, sadly, in how our landscape will look like in the years to come.

The Deputy will be aware of the supports we have in place for farmers with plantation ash in respect of the reconstitution and underplanting scheme, RUS, initiative and we have increased the supports for that measure this year. We have also introduced a de minimisscheme for farmers to apply to while we are still waiting for the new forestry programme to be approved.

Turning to roadside trees, these are the responsibility of the landowners themselves. Having said that, though, we have roadside trees along main national roads and this aspect will be the responsibility of the transport sector. We need to examine this issue. There is something to be done in respect of evaluating how we can support farmers and landowners, and not only on their own farms but more generally, and whether there will be some sort of replacement process of tree planting in areas affected. I say this because we are going to see a significant change in the landscape. I read recently about a UK scheme where landowners there can come together and apply for grant support to manage dying trees, so there may be something in that approach that we can consider.

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