Funding scheme needed to fell dead ash trees in Leitrim

Cllr Sean McGowan asked Leitrim County Council has there been any response from either of the Departments of Agriculture and the Department of Transport in “our call to provide, a funding scheme as a matter of urgency, to support landowners and farmers to address the serious issue that Ash dieback poses on the Ash Tree species in roadside hedgerows across the country.”
A report by Economic Development stated that following the November 2023 Council meeting, correspondence was issued to the Department of Agriculture and the Department of Transport on this issue and an acknowledgement was received from both Departments in late November 2023, however no further correspondence has been received from either Department in the intervening period. Follow up correspondence will be issued to both Departments on this issue.
Cllr McGowan said that the trees pose a danger to motorists and the general public and said he wanted to see “some funding scheme available to landowners to fell those trees. Drive along any road and most of the trees are dead.
“If we have storms like we had at the beginning of January, it won't take a lot to toss them over. All those local roads have school buses going along them twice or three times a day. We need a funding package for landowners and farm,” he said.
The motion was supported by all councillors.