COMHAIRLE CONTAE ÁTHA CLIATH THEAS
SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL
MEETING OF RATHFARNHAM AREA COMMITTEE
Tuesday, March 13, 2012
QUESTION NO. 5
QUESTION: Councillor J. Lahart
"To ask the Manager to report whether tree pruning as requested last year in the vicinity of "Address Supplied", did in fact take place?"
REPLY:
The trees referred to have not been attended to. They are not considered to be a priority relative to the volume of requests and planned pruning in other areas of the Works District. The trees have not been listed in the 2012 Arboricultural Works Programme which was presented to and noted by the Elected Members on the 13th December 2011. In presenting the programme it was stated, inter alia:
In relation to trees, priority will be given to trees in the following categories:
- Dead and damaged trees.
- Trees in very close proximity to public lighting columns (less than 1.8m).
- Trees associated with lifting footpaths.
- Trees in conflict with overhead utility cables
Aside from these categories, works will be carried out to trees only where they are considered to be consistent with good arboricultural practice. Examples of this would be crown lifting (removal of lower branches), crown thinning (reducing the weight of large trees), pruning to deal with weak branch junctions, pruning to improve the shape of the tree and removal of suckers.
The existing programme was prepared on the basis of dealing with trees considered to be most in need of attention and on the basis of the programme being completed in 2012. The consequence of this is that there are trees, considered to be in need of attention but assessed as lower priority, which are not included in the 2012 programme. The lower priority trees, including the ones referred to in this Motion will be re-listed for attention as part of future programmes, having regard to the priorities and resources available at that time.