No plans to replant trees in this Kildare region
It was heard that horses destroyed the previously planted trees
There are currently no plans to replant trees in one County Kildare region.
The answer was provided by Kildare County Council (KCC) in response to a motion which was submitted at the latest Athy Municipal District meeting, which took place on Monday, May 18 last.
Approximately halfway through the meeting, Labour Party councillor Mark Leigh motioned for KCC to replant all of the trees ‘that were designed as a sound barrier for the new Distributor Road [which were] destroyed by horses at Aughraboura’.
His motion was seconded by his party colleague, Cllr Aoife Breslin.
Replying to Cllr Leigh’s motion, KCC said via the report it presented at the meeting: “There are no financial resources available within the Parks Section budget to undertake any replanting.”
“This would have to be discussed with the Roads Design Section,” KCC added.
DISAPPOINTMENT
Cllr Leigh in turn told KCC that he was ‘very disappointed’ by the response.
Another councillor, Fianna Fáil’s Veralouise Behan, then spoke in defence of Cllr Leigh’s motion.
She also suggested looking into the implementation of a native tree planting scheme for the region.
After Cllr Behan was finished speaking, a senior KCC official who was in attendance at the meeting, Mark McLoughlin, told the councillors he would ‘bring the matter back to the Capital Team’.
However, Mr McLoughlin also warned them: “The main problem here hasn’t been resolved [referring to the destruction of the trees by horses], and that needs to be looked at.”
Funded by the Local Democracy Reporting Schemea