After Storm Éowyn and recent snow storms, bushes and trees are overhanging roads everywhere and wires have collapsed down on top of ditches. The Association of Farm and Forestry Contractors in Ireland, FCI, has asked me - as have many other people because it is common sense - to extend the hedge-cutting season for at least a month in view of the ferocious damage that has been done by overhanging wires. It is a threat to the health and safety of road users as well. Hedge cutting is supposed to finish on Friday. The FCI could not possibly finish this year with the weather, but its members came to the fore and helped everybody out in the meitheal style in the snow and after the recent storm, particularly in the west of the country. They are willing and ready to continue doing their work but they cannot do it if the rule is applied. They will be prosecuted if they go out cutting hedges on Saturday. Never was there more need to allow common sense to prevail and to allow the hedge-cutting season to be extended - for two weeks at least or a month, hopefully - in order to allow the backlog to be cleared and to make our roads safer for all road users.

There is a lot of hedge cutting going and clearing being done by local authorities and contractors at the moment. That is evident across the country. On the other side of the coin and as the Deputy knows, issues around biodiversity, etc., have given rise to this. Those issues are significant. I will talk to the Minister in terms of his assessment of the matter.