Michael Fitzmaurice urges two-week reprieve for storm contractors
Michael Fitzmaurice asked the minister to grant a two-week period for contractors who assisted with storm recovery to complete farm work during the closing of the Hitch-Cutton season. He also urged the Government to introduce legislation to manage trees on roadsides and in forestries to prevent the destruction seen over the last few weeks.
Fitzmaurice highlighted that people in the west, northwest and the midlands "suffered fair torture" with the storm and asked whether the Government can give a two-week window for contractors who were diverted to storm work to return to farm duties before the end of the Hitch-Cutton season. He named contractors such as the ESB and council teams as having been called in to clear trees and assist communities.
He pressed for legislation currently in the Department of Environment to be used to ensure roadside and forestry trees are managed to avoid repeating recent damage. The ask was that new or clarified legal measures be brought in to prevent the level of destruction witnessed.
The minister acknowledged existing timelines intended to protect wildlife and certain natural considerations, and confirmed the request would be relayed to the relevant minister. The minister said the objective is to put measures in place to prevent the type of destruction seen in the last number of weeks while respecting those timelines.
The proposed two-week period is intended to allow contractors who responded to storm damage to finish urgent farm work and protect seasonal operations during the closing Hitch-Cutton season, helping to mitigate immediate agricultural disruption.
Request to government
Fitzmaurice highlighted that people in the west, northwest and the midlands "suffered fair torture" with the storm and asked whether the Government can give a two-week window for contractors who were diverted to storm work to return to farm duties before the end of the Hitch-Cutton season. He named contractors such as the ESB and council teams as having been called in to clear trees and assist communities.
Call for legislation
He pressed for legislation currently in the Department of Environment to be used to ensure roadside and forestry trees are managed to avoid repeating recent damage. The ask was that new or clarified legal measures be brought in to prevent the level of destruction witnessed.
Minister's response and wildlife timelines
The minister acknowledged existing timelines intended to protect wildlife and certain natural considerations, and confirmed the request would be relayed to the relevant minister. The minister said the objective is to put measures in place to prevent the type of destruction seen in the last number of weeks while respecting those timelines.
Potential impact on farmers
The proposed two-week period is intended to allow contractors who responded to storm damage to finish urgent farm work and protect seasonal operations during the closing Hitch-Cutton season, helping to mitigate immediate agricultural disruption.
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Transcript
First of all, I want to wish you well on your new portfolio. Over the last few weeks you are well aware that the people of the west, northwest and the midlands have suffered fair torture with the storm. I want to ask you, Minister, in legislation at the moment in the Department of Environment, a lot of contractors went to help like the ESB and help the councils to basically get trees off roads and all of that. Those contractors need to do work for farmers. The Hitch-Cutton season is closing at the end of this month. Can your Government look at giving basically a two-week period for those people that had to go there now to help the farming community? Will you bring in legislation to make sure as a Government that trees, be it on roadsides or be it in forestries, that there will be legislation brought in to make sure we do not go through the torture that people went through over the last few weeks? Thank you, Deputy Minister. Be aware the timelines are there in particular to protect wildlife and to protect a certain nature, but it is certainly a question that I can ask and that I will relay to the Minister. The objective is to make sure that we do everything possible to put in place measures to prevent the type of destruction that we have seen in the last number of weeks, but certainly the specific timeline and the ask I will relay to the Minister.