Leitrim councillors slam Minister Michael Healy-Rae for calling for felling licences

A number of Leitrim councillors voiced their frustration at a recent meeting in Carrick-on-Meeting after a response from Minister Michael Healy-Rae in relation to providing funding to landowners to take down dangerous trees. 

Cllr Brendan Barry read out the response saying it was "disappointing enough that he's not committing to providing any funding to landowners to take down dangerous trees with Ash dieback but he also says, 'In relation to any plant felling of roadside trees considered to be dangerous, landowners should contact the felling section of my department to determine, whether under the Forestry Act 2014, a felling licences are needed'" which was met by responses of "crazy" by fellow councillors. 

He stressed: "It's bad enough to not provide funding to deal with these trees infected with a disease that was brought into the country from a country that was known to have this disease but to try and complicate things by making it that farmers or landowners could, in some way, be breaking the law by removing these trees, is very frustrating and annoying and I think that it should be made as easy as possible for landowners prepared to take action."

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Cllr Eddie Mitchell said the response was on the back of the SPC asking for funding to carry out a tree-cutting pilot project, that would support those wishing to undertake the task. "If this is a response to that, it's very sad that he's saying absolutely 'no'." 

Cllr Mary Bohan said it was "very disappointing to see the reply and that you have to apply for a felling licence and no funding available."

She suggested a letter be sent to Minister Healy-Rae asking him "to reconsider this" adding, "we know all the damage that was done and trees falling on electrical wires and outages and it's essential that people can deal that are dangerous."