Amendment to the Heritage Bill

Hedge Cutting
Photograph by Shane Casey ©

The Heritage Act  that passed in July 2018 was put forward to allow for hedge cutting and gorse burning to be extended over a wider timeframe than previous periodic regulations set, in order to enhance the maintenance of vegetation, specifically to roadside hedges affecting road safety. This act was based on pilot measures, set for a two year period, where managed hedge cutting specific to roadside hedges would be allowed over the month of August as well as controlled gorse burning during the month of March. 

Originally hedge cutting and gorse burning were prohibited between March and August as this is the breeding period for critically endangered ground nesting birds such as the yellowhammer. This period is also significant to bees that use gorse as a food source. 

In light of the recent national biodiversity crisis declaration as well as national and international studies such as the Irish Wetland Bird Survey and the UN Convention on Biological Diversity the government has announced that they will no longer be proceeding with roadside hedge cutting during the month of August. Environmental groups still believe this to be not enough as hedge cutting for road safety purposes will still be allowed at all times of the year (originally restricted to between February and September under the Wildlife Act.). There have also been no decisions yet made regarding the proposed extension of gorse burning dates into March. Nevertheless, this decision recognises increasing threats to Irish biodiversity and follows a number of Government initiatives in taking steps towards protecting Ireland's flora and fauna (NPWS, 2019).