Minister of State Michael Healy-Rae has said he is "not in a position" to introduce a grant to help landowners with the costs of cutting roadside hedges.

The minister with reponsibility for forestry, farm safety and horticulture had been asked by the Fianna Fáil TD, Peter 'Chap' Cleere, if a grant of this nature could be considered "as a health and safety measure". 

However Minister Healy-Rae told Deputy Cleere that current legislation "sets out the responsibility of landowners to take all reasonable steps to ensure that trees, hedges and other vegetation growing on their land are not, or could not become, a danger to people using a public road".

The minister said that this responsibility also includes "the preservation, felling, cutting, lopping, trimming or removal of such tree, shrub, hedge or other vegetation in question".

Minister Healy-Rae also highlighted that the "implementation of the legislation and the management of hedge cutting operations is a matter for local authorities and landowners".

Hedge cutting season began on September 1 because Section 40 of the Wildlife Act prohibits the cutting of vegetation, with certain strict exemptions, from March to August 31.

This is primarily to allow birds to nest safely and without being disturbed.

Teagasc has advised farmers or contractors that "little and often trimming" is the best approach when hedge cutting.

It has highlighted that two forms of hedges exist – treeline and topped hedges.

According to Teagasc treeline hedges which have never been topped, have high biodiversity value in the canopy, while thin at the base.

"Best practice management of these is to side trim only and never top," it advises.

Separately Teagasc said the best approach to topped hedges "is to side trim from a wide base to a triangular profile, leaving as high as possible". 

Earlier this year the Irish Road Haulage Association (IRHA) warned that "a lack of hedgerow management" had resulted in road traffic accidents on rural roads.

The IRHA has also in the past been critical of overgrown hedges which they said block sightlines at junctions and obstruct road signs.