Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I was told that this Bill was too long and too complicated. What I was saying is that I am happy to sit here with the Senators and go through it line by line because I do accept that it is complicated and that there are a number of different issues within it. Let me make it very clear that hedges impact on road safety. We accept that. It can happen. I have responsibility for the dates for hedge cutting. I am putting forward this Bill so that under regulation and on a pilot basis, we can allow hedge cutting for the month of August. I repeat that it relates to one season's growth on hedges on the sides of roads. The second part of it allows cutting of one season's growth on land involving hedges that relate to tillage farmers and re-seeding. That is it. No other hedges will fall within those regulations. I want to make that very clear.

Part 1 of this amendment to the Wildlife Acts is under my remit. I said I would look at that amendment. Part 3 is an amendment to the Roads Act so it belongs to the Road Act, which is the remit of the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport. I cannot change a Bill that falls under the remit of the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport. I want to be clear on that.

I agree with Senator O'Reilly that farmers are the greatest custodians of the countryside. We talked about urban dwellers. Members should remember that urban dwellers are not allowed to cut their hedges. If urban dwellers are cutting their hedges before 1 September, they should not do so. I am trying to allow a degree of flexibility here.