COMHAIRLE CONTAE ÁTHA CLIATH THEAS
SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

MEETING OF SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

Monday, November 11, 2019

QUESTION NO.14

QUESTION: Councillor C. O'Connor

To ask the Chief Executive to confirm that he will make provision in the forthcoming Budget to enhance the Tree Programme which is of interest to many; will he give details in that regard and will he make a statement.

REPLY:

The preparation and agreement of the budget for 2020 is in it's final stages at the present time with the annual budget meeting due to take place on November 14th.   While the budget provision for tree management in 2020 is not known at this time it is hoped that the budget will be increased on the 2019 provision.  The targets set for the various elements of tree management in 2019 were as shown below, it is expected that these will be achieved at year end and that an increase in budget provision will enable the setting of more ambitious targets for 2020. 

• Tree pruning  3,000 trees
• Tree removals  1,000 trees
• Trees planted  1,300 trees  *

* Note that the number of trees planted to date in 2019 is 1,649.

In addition to the programme of cyclical tree maintenance which is in place the increase in budget provision in 2019 enabled the carrying out of specialist works on trees underneath power cables, the pruning and removal of trees deemed to be high risk and which otherwise could not have been included in the 2019 programme of works as well as the clearance of trees in a number of locations at the boundary between parkland or open space and private dwellings.  It is hoped that a further increase in the budget for tree maintenance will enable these works to continue, will enable an increase in the tree planting programme and will also allow the continued surveying of street trees which is an essential part of the overall programme.