Property owners and occupants across the Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council area have been urged to address overgrown hedges.

The Council has reminded residents to ensure footpath and roadside hedges, overhanging trees, and bushes are cut and maintained so that all pedestrians can travel safely along footpaths and at junctions.

Failure to comply with obligations under Section 70 of the Roads Act 1993 could result in Landowners/Occupiers of Land along a public road, facing fines of up to €5,000 and or imprisonment of up to six months or both.


Aidan Blighe, Director of Municipal Services with Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council said: "Complaints are often received from road and footpath users concerning the overgrown state of hedgerows and overhanging trees along some footpaths, cycle tracks, and roads, and the road safety issues that can result, especially at night-time. This can particularly be a problem on some routes for visually impaired persons as they are not expecting an overhead obstruction. While we would like to compliment the many householders and landowners who maintain their roadside trees hedges, there are some who fail to cut and maintain their footpath and roadside hedges and branches resulting in road safety issues."

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Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council carries out a verge and tree cutting program on its road network within the appropriate seasons and in line with policies and plans, where relevant. Some verges may be part of the dlr pollinator sites and require a separate management regime.


The season when hedge cutting is permitted under the Wildlife Act is between the start of September and the end of February the following year.