THE IRISH Wildlife Trust (IWT) has received a number of reports of illegal hedge cutting during the nesting season, which is under way.
The conservation body is writing to the local authorities concerned, as well as to the National Parks and Wildlife Service and the Department of the Environment, to complain, it has said. It is also appealing to the public to continue reporting incidents.
Under the Wildlife Act, hedge cutting is banned from March 1st to August 31st each year except for reasons of health, the IWT said. Health and safety was being used as a loophole to cut out of season, it claimed.
County councils and land managers seemed to address the issue of hedge cutting during March to August, the IWT said. “Either they are unaware that they are breaking the law and causing tremendous environmental damage or simply don’t care,” a spokesman said.
Development officer Joanne Pender said Cork County Council had been the subject of several reports of illegal hedge cutting to the IWT in recent weeks.
A spokesman for Cork County Council yesterday said he would await specific detail from the IWT as to which of the 22 roads areas were the subject of allegations before commenting.