Holly Cairns (Cork South West, Social Democrats)
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561. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine his views on the introduction of a financial support scheme for farmers to meeting the costs of hiring professional contractors to manage roadside ash trees that are infected by ash dieback disease; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25802/23]

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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The care and management of trees adjacent to roads is the responsibility of the landowner on whose land the roadside trees are growing. It is advisable that landowners make themselves aware of the full legal extent of their land ownership and of any obligations arising from this.

My Department does not offer funding for the removal of roadside trees, but has published guidance on the subject of roadside trees (“A Guide for Landowners to Managing Roadside Trees”) and this can be accessed at the Department website.

A total of €9.2 million has been expended to date on the reconstitution schemes that my Department has offered for Ash Dieback. These schemes include supports to restore forests planted under the afforestation scheme which had suffered from, or which were associated with plants affected by disease.