Seán Ó Fearghaíl (Kildare South, Fianna Fail)
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268. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if, given the spread of ash dieback disease he has a proposal, or if he plans to bring forward any initiative to ensure the removal of trees affected or potentially affected from roadside hedgerows where they constitute a very real danger to public safety; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5340/25]

Martin Heydon (Kildare South, Fine Gael)
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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.

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.