John Brady (Wicklow, Sinn Fein)
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881. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the person or body responsible for enforcing tree protection orders in local authorities and the process for members of the public to report infringements. [11442/25]

James Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail)
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Section 205 of the Planning and Development Act 2000 (Act of 2000) sets out the provisions regarding the making of Tree Preservation Orders (TPOs) and provides that it is a reserved function of the elected members of a local authority.

As such, the development and oversight of the implementation of TPOs is a matter for the individual planning authority in whose functional area the relevant trees or woodland are located. Section 205(10) provides that any person who contravenes a TPO or, pending the decision of a planning authority, a proposed TPO, shall be guilty of an offence.

Under the Planning and Development Act 2024 (Act of 2024), TPOs will be dealt with under section 267, once commenced. The provisions are largely the same as the Act of 2000 with the addition of a provision in section 267(12) which will allow a member of the public to request that the planning authority considers making a specific tree preservation order.