Frank Feighan (Sligo-Leitrim, Fine Gael)
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103. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government if he will consider extending the hedge cutting timeframe considering the recent storm damage and the requirement to deal with damaged roadside trees and hedgerow. [9842/25]

James Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail)
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The dates for the cutting of hedges are set down in primary legislation. Section 40 of the Wildlife Act 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.

Please note also that the provisions of section 40 do not extend to dead vegetation (eg: uprooted trees).

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