Clare Fine Gael TD Joe Cooney has said he will continue to press the Government to provide financial assistance for farmers and landowners dealing with ash dieback along public roads, despite Minister of State for Agriculture Michael Healy-Rae ruling out any form of support scheme.
Deputy Cooney raised the issue at a meeting of the Joint Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine, which was also attended by senior forestry officials from the Department.
The Clare TD said farmers were “very, very concerned” about the growing number of diseased ash trees along public roads, warning that landowners were being left with significant costs to remove dangerous trees.
“It wasn’t of their making in fairness to them,” he said. “Unfortunately, the trees are affected, and it has been left as their responsibility, which is not good enough for those farmers.”
He called on the Minister of State to consider a match-funding local grant scheme, like the Local Improvement Scheme (LIS), that would allow landowners to remove affected roadside trees in coordination with local authorities.
“Even a small number of pilot schemes across counties would help address serious concern,” he said.
“You’re asking a very fair honest question on behalf of a lot of people and unfortunately the answer is no,” he said. “If farmers have individual ash trees that are growing on the roadside and that are dying and that are in danger, unfortunately if it is in their land, it is their responsibility.”
He added that “there was not, there is not, or there will not be a scheme to compensate them for having to remove those trees”, stressing that the position applied only to ash dieback.
Deputy Cooney said the stance was “totally unfair” on landowners who had already incurred “crazy” costs in removing dangerous trees. “They did not cause it, and we are all well aware of that,” he said.
Minister Healy-Rae acknowledged the hardship but said the policy would not change. “Everything that you are after saying is right and personally I would agree with you,” he said. “But the answer is still no.”
He also warned that if a diseased tree fell during a storm and caused an accident “it is the landowner who would be directly responsible”.
Deputy Cooney said he would continue to pursue the issue. “I do not think it is good enough Minister,” he said. “I will be back again on it.”