Mr. Eugene Dwyer, Head of Roads and Infrastructure gave a presentation to the members in relation to Verge Trimming and Hedgecutting:

·         Statutory obligations on the Local Authority (verges), owner of lands (hedges) and issuing of notices and appeals process.

·         It is the practice of Roscommon County Council to cut the verges and breast the hedges

·         Japanese Knotweed is a difficulty as it is illegal to cut it thereby encouraging its spread– currently a 3 year plan to spray on secondary and national roads

·         The Council have four tractors and flail cutters and hire in up to six in a year. Have invested €172k since 2015 and current assets worth €272k. Expected to have spent in excess of €300k by end of 2017.

·         Outlined the current operations on hedgecutting in other counties including a Pilot Scheme in Clare and Leitrim that funds €50 per km to community to cut hedges with a minimum number of km.

·         Recommendations of Senior Engineer are to roll out a Pilot Scheme similar to Leitrim and Clare, start issuing notices to landowners and hedge trimming on regional and local roads and on bends.

The report was welcomed and the following debated:

·         The provision of €300,000 in 2018 would solve the problem and Pilot Community Schemes are the way forward.

·         Refer this matter to the Roads SCP for look at this for 2018 and plan work

·         If vegetation is outside the boundary it is the Local Authority who are responsible and not the landowner

·         Clarification on how many notices were issued

·         Verge trimming at the junctions should be a priority.

·         What is the breakdown of costs per KM?

·         Japanese Knotweed – the current programme includes spraying outside hedges only – is it possible to write to all landowners who have a problem explaining what needs to be done to tackle the problem. Not effective if no spraying taking place inside verge.

·         Write to landowners who have a responsibility for trees overhanging and carry out a survey of all trees to remove dangerous ones as a matter of urgency.

·         Difficulty in finding owners to issue notices to.

·         What is the position regarding insurance and traffic management plans for contractors? This could work similarly to how group water scheme road opening licence

·         Who would monitor work done by private contractors?

·         A lot of briars and trees growing over the lands onto road ways  and the Roads Acts empower the Local Authority to enter lands to carry out works to remedy this.

The Chief Executive replied to the matters as follows:

The Members function is related directly to the budget but the operational aspect is the responsibility of the executive including Health and Safety and Risk Management. Will take on board the introduction of community schemes but there has not been a great take up in the counties that have such schemes provided. The Council have over €270k worth of machines and a dedicated workforce who are very au fait with the Health and Safety requirements and also there are areas of the county that would be unable to organise themselves in terms of such a scheme. Accept that there are other ways of doing this work and will examine this and reverting to the SPC is a good idea. Perhaps members could consider an amount of €10,000 budget per M.D. out of the €300,000 allocation to put aside for a community based scheme. We will not be privatising the work as we have a dedicated staff and need to ensure the work is carried out everywhere. The CE assured members he will certainly take on board all of the matters outlined by the members today and is willing to look at the privatisation of works on National Primary Routes, the Pilot Community Schemes and use the resources we have currently to try to catch up and to make sure all our hedgecutters are employed all the time.

On the PROPOSAL of Cllr. Byrne

            SECONDED by Cllr. Mulligan

It was AGREED that Verge trimming and Hedgecutting be included as a matter for discussion by the Economic Development and Enterprise Support (including Roads and Culture) S.P.C.

Mr. Eugene Dwyer responded to the queries raised:

·         The Municipal Districts will have to encourage participation in the Pilot Community Scheme

·         The NRDO in Roscommon have agreed to write to the landowners to avail of the spraying for Japanese Knotweed at their own cost when it is being done on the verge of their property

·         Insurances can be dealt with similar to GWS insurances

·         His preference is to develop a Policy on Verge trimming and Hedgecutting and get better value for money.

·         Only a very small number of notices have been issued as we currently do not have the staff or expertise to determine dangerous trees.

·         The IFA have a role to play in encouraging landowners to avail of any scheme and the landowners themselves also have a big responsibility.

·         The budget from the General Municipal Allocation can be revisited at any time if the need arises.