Written answers
Wednesday, 24 March 2021
Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine
Legislative Measures
Holly Cairns (Cork South West, Social Democrats)
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2042. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine his views on amending the Forestry Acts to provide protection and regulation for trees in urban areas; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15896/21]
Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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The Forestry Act 2014 details the requirements and obligations in relation to tree felling licences. A felling licence provides authority under the Act to the applicant to uproot or otherwise remove trees. There are certain situations, outside of a forest, where trees can be felled without the need to submit a tree felling licence. As per Section 19(1)(a) of the Forestry Act, 2014, one such situation is a tree or trees in an urban area.
The protection of trees in urban areas are a matter for the relevant local authority. Under the Planning and Development Acts 2000 to 2011, local authorities have a mandatory responsibility to include objectives in the Development Plan relating to the preserving of amenities. This empowers the planning authority to make provision for tree preservation by establishing a Tree Preservation Order (TPO). No tree covered by a TPO may be felled, topped, lopped or otherwise destroyed without the consent of the local authority.
I have currently no plans to amend the Forestry Act, 2014.
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