Hedge Cutting has been a bone of contention at a number of municipal district meetings in Donegal in recent weeks, with a number of councillors claiming hedges have been growing at an unprecedented rate.
Donegal County Council has responsibility for public verges, while Transport Infrastructure Ireland does some work along National Roads. Primarily, individual landowners have responsibility for maintaining hedges along smaller roads, with councillors particularly highlighting the need for action at junctions where vision lines can be compromised.
Over the course of the past 12 months, Donegal County Council spent €138,000 on hedgecutting. This figure does not include the cost of additional traffic management provided to allow the operation to proceed. Further expenditure by the TII on hedges on the National Roads was also undertaken, though those figures are not available to DCC.
Some of the work carried out by council has been done in areas where overgrown hedges posed an immediate danger.
Now, in cases where hedges have become dangerous, officials are being urged to carry out the work and then bill the landowners.
A motion to that effect from Cllr Declan Meehan was passed last year by Letterkenny Milford Municipal District, and now, a similar motion has been moved by Lifford Stranorlar Cllr Martin Harley.
He’s asked for a review into how feasible such a strategy would be…………….
One potential issue is the time restriction imposed on hedgecutting, with hedge trimming banned between March 1st and August 31st.
Inishowen Cllr Martin McDermott says there needs to be more leeway…………..
However, Glenties Cllr Michael McClafferty says in cases where safety is an issue, cutting is permitted.
He says the council must take steps to ensure that all landowners are aware of their responsibiities
