Hedge cutting

Ireland has many hedges (or hedgerows), usually found around the edges of fields, land boundaries, or by the sides of roads. These hedges are natural habitats for animals and can provide food and shelter for them, especially birds.

Other benefits of having hedgerows include the following:

• Providing food for insects (such as nectar for bees)
• Creating wildlife corridors
• Storing carbon
• Helping to mitigate fertilizer run off

There are rules around what time of year you can cut hedges in Ireland. This is to stop people cutting hedges during bird nesting season and to give birds a chance to nest safely and to raise their young.

Other species which rely on hedges include:

• Badgers
• Owls
• Hedgehogs
• Stoats
• Butterflies

You can cut hedges between 1 September and the end of February. It is illegal to cut hedges between 1 March and 31 August. This includes:

• Cutting
• Grubbing (digging or excavating)
• Burning
• Destroying

Some exceptions to this rule apply to businesses, landowners and the public. These include:

• Destructing any vegetation growing on or in a hedge or ditch during the ordinary course of farming or forestry
• Clearing vegetation during road or construction works or while developing or preparing building sites
• Cutting, felling, lopping, trimming or removing a tree, shrub, hedge or other vegetation on your land to stop it being a hazard to people using a public road. This is explained in more detail in section 70 of the Roads Act 1993.

If you see someone illegally cutting a hedge, you should report it to:

• Your local National Parks and Wildlife Services (NPWS) office
• Your local Garda station

Since whoever you report the crime to may not be able to respond immediately, you should make note of certain information, such as the following:

• Time and date of the incident
• Registration of any vehicles involved

It may also be useful to take a photo of the incident, especially to record the vehicle registration number. However, you don’t need to send these to the NPWS or Gardaí when reporting the incident.

A tree or hedge on a boundary is generally the property of both you and your neighbour. You cannot cut down the tree or hedge without your neighbour’s permission.

Overhanging branches or roots encroaching on your land can be cut back without permission, but only as far as the boundary line. You should still discuss this with your neighbour to avoid disagreements.

You should ensure that the tree is not the subject of a tree preservation order. Tree preservation orders are made by the local authority. You should check with the local authority before cutting back or taking any action against a tree that is subject to a tree preservation order.

The National Parks and Wildlife Service have more information about restrictions on cutting hedgerows.

Teagasc has a useful guide on hedgerow management (pdf).

For information on the importance of hedgerows and how to plant, manage and maintain hedgerows, see Hedgerows Ireland.

The National Biodiversity Data Centre also have useful information on hedgerows and their benefits to wildlife and biodiversity.

For information on controlled fires and burning vegetation, see our page on Burning waste and vegetation.