Rural road safety demands passage of Heritage Bill currently in Dail

COMMENTING on the changes contained in The Heritage Bill to the periods within which managed hedge-cutting will be permitted, the ICMSA has welcomed the changes and said that they are proportionate and necessary for driver safety on rural roads.

Denis Drennan, chairperson of ICMSA Farm & Rural Affairs Committee, (pictured) said that Heritage Bill – which is currently at Report and Final Stage in the Dail – was considered an environmentally ‘proofed’ piece of legislation that balanced carefully the need to protect and foster the wildlife and environment with the requirement to allow safe driving on rural roads. Mr. Drennan said it was no more than stating a fact to observe that many rural roads were made incredibly dangerous to use by overgrown hedges and completely obscured sightlines.

He noted that anyone who drives regularly on rural roads will know about the dangers presented by crossroads without any clear sightlines for both cars or agri-machinery but even more so for pedestrians. Mr Drennan said it is simply a fact that we have to be able to see down the road if we’re to be able to proceed safely and that can’t be done unless we make the changes contained in the Heritage Bill.

“Any proposal to hedge-cut will be examined and considered subject to the most stringent conditions and restrictions and in ICMSA’s opinion the Heritage Bill represents a very fair balance between environmental considerations and the safe use of rural roads”, said Mr Drennan.