Kevin Humphreys (Labour) | Oireachtas source

It is across the Twenty-six Counties. Similar studies have been taking place in Northern Ireland, England and Scotland where they have clearly indicated it is illegal to cut hedgerows from March to August.

I have a problem speaking to this as a heritage Bill, as the last thing it seems to be doing is protecting our heritage. One of main concerns relates to bird nesting patterns across the country. The wren, blackbird, song thrush and robin nest in August; the bluefinch, yellowhammer, greenfinch, goldfinch etc. nest in September; and nesting in March is the curlew, which is on the red list because we have seen a drop of 86% in breeding pairs over the past 25 years. The yellowhammer has seen a 61% decline in breeding pairs in Ireland since 1970. Hedgerows play an important role within that. We can also speak about their importance to bats, which are still feeding their young at that stage using hedgerows. Hedgehogs are an endangered species across the country and they need hedgerows for food so they can lay down fat for hibernation.

The accusation is levelled that anybody who wishes to stand up for the environment is from Dublin 4 and does not understand rural Ireland, as the Minister of State, Deputy Ring, recently shouted at me. The argument is that if a person has never lived in rural Ireland, he or she does not understand it. As I stated to the Minister of State, I have spent many a year in rural Ireland. I worked in places from Donegal to Kerry, west Cork and Galway, in small villages and towns. I very much understand the issues and everybody in the House wants to ensure rural Ireland is viable, with a strong agricultural community. Destroying the food source of pollinators, however, such as the bees in hedgerows, will cause immense damage to farmers struggling for a living.

Is there the possibility of compromise or a way forward? My understanding is Fianna Fáil will probably support the Government on this issue. If the issue is road safety, let us examine it. I certainly do not want to see anybody injured on our roads or cars damaged because of overgrown hedges. It is a matter of compromise so let us look at cutting those hedges that abut onto roads. We can examine the Road Traffic Acts and put in place legislation for where a danger exists, such as for pedestrians who are pushed further into the road because of an overgrown hedge. If the Minister is open to it, the issue could be dealt with in the Bill before us today.

The good Senator from Cork is sitting in front of me and unfortunately, he let the cat out of the bag when he made his contribution. He stated that as there is a bit of down time in August, what else would one use the old machinery for?