Farmers, landowners and members of the public are being reminded that the annual ban on hedge cutting comes into force tomorrow (Tuesday, March 1).

Under section 40 of the Wildlife Act 1976 the cutting, grubbing, burning or destruction of vegetation is prohibited from March 1 to August 31, each year.

Due to the low levels of native woodland in Ireland, the National Parks and Wildlife Service and Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage said that hedges are of exceptional importance for biodiversity.

They explained that the hedges provide food, shelter, habitats and corridors for birds, other animals and wild plants.

Birds including robins, thrushes and wrens, along with many rarer species, depend on hedgerows.

Birds generally favour untrimmed, thorned hedgerows containing shrubs such as blackthorn, whitethorn, holly, briars and brambles, where they are protected from predators during the breeding season.

Hedge cutting ban

However, there are some certain strict exemptions to the legislation allowed during this closed period; the Wildlife Act allows both landowners and public authorities to address hedges for road safety reasons at any time of the year.

Some exemptions of note include:

  • The clearance of vegetation in the course of road or other construction works or in the development or preparation of sites on which any building or other structure is intended to be provided;
  • The destruction, in the ordinary course of agriculture or forestry, of any vegetation growing on or in any hedge or ditch. In the act, “agriculture” is defined as including horticulture. Since horticulture includes gardening, the summertime trimming of hedges in the ordinary course of gardening falls under this exemption;
  • The felling, cutting, lopping, trimming or removal of a tree, shrub, hedge or other vegetation pursuant to section 70 of the Roads Act 1993.

Breaches of the hedge cutting ban are investigated by both the NPWS and An Garda Síochána. In 2021, the NPWS brought 31 prosecutions against those who had contravened the regulations.

HEDGE CUTTING HEDGES NPWS