Mattie McGrath (Tipperary South, Independent)
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867. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will make emergency relief funding available to organic farmers and growers following damage to their polytunnels during Storm Éowyn; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2712/25]

Martin Heydon (Kildare South, Fine Gael)
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Storm Éowyn has resulted in unprecedented damage to homes, farms and businesses across the country. I am aware of reports of significant levels of damage across the Irish horticulture sector.

My officials are engaging with Teagasc and other stakeholders to assess the extent and significance of the damage across the sector. It may be a number of weeks before the full extent of the damage is known.

My colleague, Minister of State for Forestry, Horticulture and Farm Safety, Michael Healy-Rae will meet with representatives of all the horticulture sub-sectors at a meeting of the Horticulture Industry Forum in early February. This meeting will give an opportunity to grower representatives to relay to Minister Healy-Rae the particular impacts of the storm on their sectors.

The National Emergency Coordination Group continues to coordinate the intensive work across the whole of government to restore power, water, telecommunications and other services to homes, farms and businesses.

Paula Butterly (Louth, Fine Gael)
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868. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if a scheme can be considered to allow private landowners maintain tree cutting on roadside property when it is beyond their means, to avoid extensive damage during extreme weather periods and other situations that could cause perilous conditions on roads; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2716/25]

Martin Kenny (Sligo-Leitrim, Sinn Fein)
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875. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the measures his Department intends to take in relation to the issue of ash die-back causing trees to fall on roads and power lines; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2919/25]

Martin Heydon (Kildare South, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 868 and 875 together.

My Department recognises that wind events, such as the recent storms Darragh and Éowyn, can cause varying degrees of damage around the country, including damage to trees. Since the first finding of ash dieback disease in Ireland, my Department has provided financial support to owners of ash forests impacted by ash dieback disease, currently through the Reconstitution Ash Dieback Scheme 2023-2027 and the Climate Action Performance Payment Scheme. The Reconstitution Ash Dieback Scheme 2023-2027 offers a site clearance grant that assists with the removal of ash and a separate grant that funds the replanting of the forest.

My Department does not offer funding for the removal of roadside trees or trees outside of forests for ash or any other species, but has published guidance on the subject of roadside trees (“A Guide for Landowners to Managing Roadside Trees”). This publication provides information on how to identify trees that have ash dieback and outlines specific issues related to health and safety in tree work. It also gives practical guidance to those working with chainsaws taking out hazardous trees. My Department produced this publication in partnership with the Tree Council of Ireland and it can be found on my Department’s website.

Section 70 of the Roads Act 1993 sets out the responsibility of landowners to take all reasonable steps to ensure that trees, hedges and other vegetation growing on their land are not, or could not become, a danger to people using a public road or interfere with the safe use of a public road or the maintenance of a public road. This responsibility includes the preservation, felling, cutting, lopping, trimming or removal of any such tree, shrub, hedge or other vegetation' in question. The implementation of the legislation on the management or removal of dangerous roadside trees is the responsibility of the local authority, in its capacity as the relevant road authority.

In relation to damage to power lines, under Section 98 of the Electricity (Supply) Act 1927, as amended by Section 45 of the Electricity Regulation Act 1999, the ESB and its representatives, taking due care and attention to avoid unnecessary damage, are empowered to lop or cut any tree, shrub or hedge which obstructs or interferes with electrical wires or to do the same where the tree, shrub or hedge interferes with the erection or laying of any such electrical wires or with the survey of the proposed route of any transmission or distribution lines. Such works are a matter between the ESB and anyone acting on their behalf, and the landowner in question, and do not require a felling licence from my Department.

As a matter of law, 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.