Carol Nolan urges hedge-cutting extension to 17th March
Carol Nolan urged the government to extend the statutory hedge-cutting period to the 17th of March, citing safety concerns and unprecedented rainfall. She told the Taoiseach she had been contacted by agri-contractors and farming families and called for urgent intervention.
Request to government
Carol Nolan directly asked the Taoiseach and the government to intervene urgently to extend the hedge-cutting period. She requested an extension up to the 17th of March and framed the appeal as necessary for safety.
Reason and safety concerns
Nolan said unprecedented rainfall has delayed normal hedge-cutting schedules and left contractors and farming families behind. She emphasised that the extension would prioritise safety for operators and rural communities working in hazardous conditions.
Industry backing
She cited the Farm and Forestry Contractors of Ireland, which she said represents 1,200 contractors and has proposed the 17th of March extension. Nolan reported receiving multiple calls from agri-contractors and farming families concerned about meeting current deadlines.
Government response and next steps
The Taoiseach responded that statutory deadlines are in place for reasons and noted there are two sides to the issue. Nolan said she has spoken to various ministers and will speak to the minister to establish the government's position and obtain the background on the request.
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Taoiseach, I wish to raise the issue of hedge cutting. I'm just calling on government to intervene urgently to ensure that the hedge cutting period is extended as soon as possible. I know I've received a number of calls from agri-contractors and from farming families who are very concerned. And because of the unprecedented rainfall, things are behind and that's the way it is. And I think in the interest of safety that we should definitely prioritise this. I know Farm and Forestry Contractors of Ireland, they have proposed that the extension be up to the 17th of March, which I feel is very, very reasonable. And they represent 1,200 contractors throughout this country. So I'm asking for the extension of the hedge cutting period up to the 17th of March, please, Taoiseach. Again, look, I've talked to various ministers and this happens every year, people are looking for an extension of deadlines that we already put in. There's a reason why they're there, by the way. There's two sides to the story. And we need to be conscious of the other side as well. But I think for safety, it has to be done. And so I'll talk to the minister and see what the actual position is and get the background on it. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.
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