The countryside is “full of dead ash trees, many of which are by roadsides” which in turn could pose a “serious risk”, a TD has told the Dáil.
The Fine Gael TD for Cork east, David Stanton, also highlighted that dead trees “are extraordinarily dangerous”.
“If a tree falls down on a road at night, someone could drive into it.
” I have seen trees that have already fallen, the damage they can cause and the dangers they pose. I notice more and more of them around the country,” he said.
Deputy Stanton called on the Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM), Martin Heydon, to “instruct local authorities to carry out surveys and if trees are found that are obviously dead and could easily fall in a gale, that they notify the landowner that they have to be removed”.
Trees
In response Minister Heydon told the Dáil this week that landowners have the “primary responsibility” to ensure that trees, hedges and other vegetation growing on their land are not a danger to people using a public road.
The minister also detailed that landowners have to take all reasonable steps to ensure that “a tree in a roadside verge on their land is not a hazard and does not fall on that road and either hit vehicles or act as an obstruction that could be crashed into afterwards”.
He also stated that removal of dead or dying trees is a matter for Local Authorities and landowners but did acknowledge that this can be a “major challenge” for farmers and landowners particularly in relation to ash dieback.
“It is incumbent on all landowners, then, to recognise their responsibility, especially concerning trees on roads that create this type of hazard, and ensure their trees are sound.
“They must not only do this via visual inspection but through a more physical inspection too,” Minister Heydon said.
But Deputy Stanton also highlighted to the minister that there could be a considerable cost to farmers if they have to deal with a problem.
“It is also a dangerous job because if a tree is dead and rotten and an attempt is made to try to knock it down, it ends up being more dangerous than a healthy tree.
“I want to see every bit of caution being taken to take these trees out because they are a danger,” he added.