Farmers, farm organisations, Irish rural groups and the Rural Independent Group have been calling for an extension to the hedge cutting season. Today is normally the last day of February, but with the leap year, there is an extra day tomorrow. As the Minister knows, last summer was the wettest summer on record. From July onwards, hedges were cut in some cases and cannot be removed from land where they are. Land is swimming because of the rain through the autumn, winter and now in the early spring. I appeal to the Minister to extend this date for at least two months to allow farmers to remove hedges where they are cut and also to cut down dangerous and overhanging hedges on roads, which interfere with sightlines and are dangerous to pedestrians, cyclists and motorists. I am appealing for common sense here, especially when land has been so wet that farmers could not do the work. It would allow them to do the work safely and have road safety and everything else as a priority.

There are currently no plans to extend the season any further.

As we know, bird-nesting season is upon us. It is important that everybody, both contractors and landowners, adheres to that. We have developed a programme around awareness, including across our social media channels. Separately, on roadside safety and overhanging branches, there is already an exemption under the Wildlife Act. That is already in place for landowners, contractors and local authorities to ensure that roadside safety is paramount.

You will not extend the date.