COMHAIRLE CONTAE ÁTHA CLIATH THEAS
SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

South Dublin County Council Crest

MEETING OF CLONDALKIN, NEWCASTLE, RATHCOOLE, SAGGART AND BRITTAS AREA COMMITTEE

Wednesday, February 19, 2025

MOTION NO.14

MOTION: Councillor S. O'Hara

That this Area Committee: Due to recent storm damage from falling trees affecting electric and internet services, the council must re-evaluate its tree management practices near essential infrastructure.

REPORT: 

To reduce power outages and ensure public safety, ESB Networks has a tree and vegetation trimming programme in place. The programme is part of ESB’s work in building and maintaining the electricity network for all customers in Ireland and is carried out on a cyclic basis depending on the line type and voltage. To do this work, ESB contracts tree cutting and clearing companies, who are trained to work safely in the proximity of power lines. The contractor carrying out the tree trimming will endeavour to carry out the work as aesthetically as possible and ESB Networks will work with landowners to obtain the best solution for all. ESB Networks is committed to operating to the highest environmental standards and minimising the environmental impact when working on property and land. The Communications Regulations Act 2002 and the Electricity Regulation Act 1993 give authority to utility suppliers to prune trees.

South Dublin County Council operates a 3-year rolling programme of tree maintenance.  In line with the Council's Tree Management Policy "Living With Trees", the focus of the Tree Maintenance Programme is on entire roads or whole estates. In addition to the planned whole estate and road programme, reactive and emergency works is carried out on individual trees as necessary in order to manage risks to the public. An emergency is defined as a tree that is in immediate and present danger of collapse or causing an obstruction requiring urgent attention. Emergency and reactive tree works will normally take priority over the planned programme of tree maintenance works.

In advance of commencing works within an estate or road, a full survey of all trees at the location is carried out to inform the programme and scheduling of tree maintenance. The survey involves an assessment of each tree’s health and condition and identifies the maintenance required, if any. 

The ongoing completion of tree surveys provides a factual account of the condition of the tree stock and the ability to prioritise tree maintenance to areas of greatest need.

Any works scheduled for trees located near overhead electricity wires is undertaken by an arborist working on behalf of SDCC and suitably qualified in the skills of utility arboriculture and approved by the ESB.