Need to reactivate Mayo hedge-cutting forum

A hedge-cutting forum may be reactivated in Mayo, with councillors concerned about the issue.

Members in the Claremorris-Swinford Municipal District were the latest to flag concerns, with Councillor Patsy O'Brien saying there seems to be a lot of work still to be done, despite extra money being allocated over the years.

People, he said, don't ask for a lot, just to have their potholes filled and bushes cut, and they should have good roads with good views.

Management was told by Councillor Richard Finn to lift the phone to contractors when the season starts and get the job done. There should be no backlogs, he said.

Efforts need to be redoubled to get it done between now and Christmas, Councillor Damien Ryan told management.

Councillor Adrian Forkan highlighted his concern about top heavy vegetation, where the bottom is cut back but the tops are meeting out over the road. And coupled with that was ashdieback and trees choked with ivy.

Mirrors are being pulled from vehicles and he knew of one business that won't deliver in his area because of damage.

Director of services Tom Gilligan agreed it is a massive problem, with a lot of hedge and verge trimming in the county.

He again highlighted how it is the responsibility of land owners to maintain their own hedges and trees.

A list of trees was received from every municipal district, but a lot of them are on private property.

Mr. Gilligan said the council had a hedge-cutting forum and he suggested it needs to be activated again to so something in a coherent way. It included representatives from organisations like the ESB and farming and community groups.