Madam, – With the ban on hedge-cutting in full swing, the Irish countryside is starting to take on its now familiar dishevelled appearance. The ability to spot traffic from roadside entrances is lessened and the obscuring of road signs – in particular “Yield right of way” and “stop” signs – has begun.
This will result in more accidents and road fatalities this year. The enforcement of the hedge-cutting ban is carried out with puritanical zeal by the wildlife officers, who brook no dissent. Hedge cutting contractors, who at the stroke of a pen had almost half their working year removed when the legislation was first enacted, are pursued through the courts for the slightest violation of this ban. One of the side-effects is the out of control spread of ragwort, which has time to flower and scatter its seed, before hedge cutting recommences in the autumn.
The length of the ban is at least two months longer than the ban in England – where they cherish their birdlife – and much more inflexible. I can only assume that we went for the longer ban to show off our great environmental credentials. This bloody-minded environmentalism does us no credit, and fools no one, with our same countryside strewn with litter.
The Minister for the environment should reduce the length of the ban and allow cutting of all roadside hedges to begin on July 1st. The Road Safety Authority – which has been strangely quiet on this serious and easily remedied hazard – should do what its title implies and at least admit there is a problem. Finally, I am surprised that the IFA stood idly by and allowed these draconian regulations be imposed on its members. – Yours, etc,