Malcolm Noonan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Green Party)
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Hedgerows are an integral part of 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.

My Department does not provide funding specifically for local authority hedgerow surveys but supports Local Authorities through the Local Biodiversity Action Fund, which provides funding for projects that contribute to the implementation of the National Biodiversity Action Plan.

Malcolm Noonan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Green Party)
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My Department does not have overall responsibility for hedgerow surveys. Teagasc, however, 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.

According to the Teagasc website, in 2020, there were an estimated 689,000 kms of hedgerow in the country using a very broad definition of hedgerow, which includes all woody vegetation growing on a boundary from stockproof hedgerows to relict hedgerows. Hedgerow length varies across the country. Counties around the midlands and the border tend to have the highest density of hedgerows with smaller fields. Cavan has the highest length of hedgerows per hectare. Counties on the western seaboard have the lowest percentage because they have areas of open upland that aren't enclosed. Also, counties like Donegal and Galway have a lot of stonewalls rather than hedgerows. 

Further information on the work of Teagasc in this area can be accessed on the following link: www.teagasc.ie/news--events/daily/environment/mapping-irish-hedgerows.php.