The decision to cut a length of hedgerow along a railway line, despite a ban currently being in place, has been met with anger and frustration by a prominent Green Party member.
The Green Party’s spokesperson on agriculture, food, forestry, heritage and animal welfare, Pippa Hackett, took to Facebook to voice her anger on Saturday, April 27.
She said: “Unfortunately, despite many requests to cease this activity, Irish Rail has continued with its destruction of this mature hedgerow and [these] trees last week in Co. Offaly, and now there is nothing left.
A habitat has been utterly destroyed. We are in late April, and nests, chicks and biodiversity have been mulched to the ground.
She noted that she had made contact with the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS), Birdwatch Ireland, the Irish Wildlife Trust, Biodiversity Ireland and other groups, and said that “all were horrified by this action”.
The hedge after being cut. Image source: Pippa Hackett Facebook page
“Farmers are dismayed too,” she added.
Hackett explained that there is a six month season for hedgerow management, and this ended on March 1.
She added that Irish Rail informed her: “Vegetation management conducted outside of the season is undertaken in exceptional circumstances only, and via a derogation under section 49 of the Transport (Railway Infrastructure Act) 2001.”
She said: “I, along with many others, do not feel that this was an ‘exceptional circumstance’.
The hedge was clearly not impacting the railway; there are no farm or road crossings at that part of the railway, and visibility on the outside bend was not an issue for rail safety.
“The hedge has been like this for years, so exceptional it certainly was not,” the Green Party spokesperson continued.
Concluding, Hackett said: “This action from Irish Rail shows a complete lack of awareness, consideration, and basic respect, and I am incensed. This sort of blatant disregard for our nature cannot continue.”