Sir, – On my daily commute in the west of Ireland, I drive along roads lined with dead and diseased ash trees, many of them very large and old, and almost all heavily shrouded in ivy. Their root systems have lost integrity and therefore the trees present an enormous hazard to road users, particularly as we enter the storm season.
Ash in this condition is very brittle and liable to snap in winds significantly less than those of storm force.
Not all landowners possess the resources to shoulder the cost of removing roadside trees.
Surely it is of the utmost urgency that the county councils address this threat to road users immediately. – Yours, etc,
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MALACHY COSTELLO,
Carrick on Shannon,
Co Roscommon.