COMHAIRLE CONTAE ÁTHA CLIATH THEAS
SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

MEETING OF RATHFARNHAM AREA COMMITTEE

Tuesday, February 12, 2013

QUESTION NO. 2

QUESTION: Councillor A.M. Dermody

"To ask the Manager to inspect the trees at Washington Park and to report back on the validity of the Residents’ concerns as to the suitability of those trees in this small cul-de-sac, to assess the damage caused by over growing roots to the footpaths and where there problems are found to exist to provide a time frame for inclusion in the trees programme and to outline whether pruning or removal is recommended in the circumstances?"

REPLY:

The trees at Washington Park are not included in the 2013 Arboricultural Works Programme.  They will however be inspected and if necessary included for consideration in the 2014 draft programme.  Inclusion in the programme is dependent on the criteria as set out in the preamble to the 2013 Arboricultural Works Programme agreed with the Elected Members in December 2012 and included for reference below:

"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. "