Jennifer Whitmore (Wicklow, Social Democrats)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

112. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government if a national hedgerow survey has been completed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10222/22]

Malcolm Noonan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Green Party)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

Hedgerows are an integral part of farmed landscapes in Ireland and play a key role in habitat connectivity as well as being important habitats in their own right. They support a variety of invertebrate, bird and mammal species, and are refuges for biodiversity in landscapes dominated by intensive agriculture. Teagasc has undertaken hedgerow mapping on a national scale, and while no comprehensive national survey has been carried out to date, a number of Local Authorities have commissioned hedgerow surveys at county level. The latest was commissioned by Monaghan County Council in 2021. This survey was co-funded by The Heritage Council. My Department supports such initiatives by Local Authorities through the Local Biodiversity Action Fund, which provides funding for projects that contribute to the implementation of the National Biodiversity Action Plan.