Robert Troy (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail)
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166. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government if he will allow an extension to cut diseased ash trees to 1 March 2024 to ensure all dangerous trees are removed as soon as possible, given the large number of trees to be felled at the same time. [8559/24]

Malcolm Noonan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Green Party)
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The dates for the cutting of vegetation and hedges are set down in primary legislation. Section 40 of the Wildlife Act 1976 prohibits the cutting of vegetation, with certain strict exemptions, from 1 March to 31 August.

There is provision in the legislation for certain exemptions in respect of cutting vegetation in the ordinary course of agriculture or forestry, for health and safety reasons, the destruction of noxious weeds and for cutting roadside hedges for road safety reasons.

As the dates are set out in primary legislation, I have no power or discretion to vary them. The dates may only be altered by primary legislation enacted by the Oireachtas.