Holly Cairns (Cork South West, Social Democrats)
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418. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the steps he is taking to ensure the protection of hedgerow habitats. [12802/23]

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail)
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Restrictions on cutting hedgerows are set out in Section 40 of the Wildlife Act 1976, as amended. This Act stipulates that it is an offence to destroy vegetation on uncultivated land between the 1st of March and the 31st of August each year. It is a significant legal protection for our hedgerows and recognises the importance of this habitat for many bird and other species and as wildlife corridors.

My Department continues to vigorously enforce this legislation. Suspected breaches are investigated by the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) of my Department and An Garda Síochána. The NPWS has sent 34 section 40 cases to the Chief State Solicitors Office since the beginning of 2022.

The NPWS also has a Farm Plan Scheme, which, inter alia, supports the creation and enhancement of hedgerows and other linear/connective landscape features of value to wildlife.

My Department is currently conducting a review of wildlife legislation. This is an extensive review and is a multi-year project, taking in every facet of our wildlife laws. It will entail extensive public consultation. It will examine closely the effectiveness of our legislation in protecting wildlife and regulating activities that adversely impact on wildlife and biodiversity. The protection afforded to hedgerow habitats under our legislation is one of the issues that will be closely examined as part of this project.