COMHAIRLE CONTAE ÁTHA CLIATH THEAS
SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

MEETING OF RATHFARNHAM AREA COMMITTEE

Tuesday, February 12, 2013

QUESTION NO. 3

QUESTION: Councillor J. Lahart

"To ask the Manager to include (location and address supplied) the trees on this road for pruning - if possible in this years programme and if not, to prioritise them in the 2014 programme of works?"

REPLY:

The trees in question 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. "