Tim Lombard (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the Minister. This is important legislation, wherever we are coming from or going to. The issue relating to hedgerows is a major one in respect of which we have all been canvassed and there are very different views on the approach we need to take. The Minister's proposal of a two-year pilot programme is important and appropriate. In considering the hedgerow issue, we should step back and look at what we did in the past and what we aim to do in the future. There is an unusual situation in the Burren in County Clare whereby, because there was no burning, the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine is paying people to go in and cut out the willow this year. We have to look at how we manage our habitats. While I am not saying that this is the appropriate way to proceed, we must consider all angles. We do not know until we try. The Minister is trying something different and she must be supported in that. Ultimately, what has happened has not been effective.

On the issue of hedgerows being cut in August, this is very appropriate given that they die away in September in any event. What is the point of having local authorities spending large sums cutting hedgerows that are dying away? August is the peak time. It comes after the growth in July and when the deep, dense hedgerow is there. Something must be done to ensure the safety of rural roads and that the people who use them are protected. That is what the Minister is trying to achieve.

From an agricultural point of view, we all know how the weather changes in September. If a farmer is to do anything on a land holding, such as reseeding or other work, August is the appropriate time to do it, particularly as the weather turns so fast. Two years ago, nothing was done in September because the weather turned, which was due to nature and the environment in which we are living. The two-year pilot period proposed by the Minister is the appropriate step. We must take on board that pilot scheme and then make a conscious decision as to what has worked or not worked.

With regard to what has happened in the Burren, we decided 30 years ago we were not going to do any more burning there and that the habitat would be allowed to run wild. We are now paying contractors to go in to cut out the willow because it has taken over the Burren. We have to learn from the mistakes of the past. Let us look for something new and see what we can do. We can look at this Bill again in two years' time. I am sure the Minister will bring forward her report after two years and we will have a fair idea then of what has happened with regard to this two-year project.