Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation
Dail Éireann — 2026-09-17
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Tom Brabazon (FF), Dublin Bay North

I raise the issue of trees that have been planted by local authorities in roadside pits in the 1970s and 1980s. In many instances, they were very welcome at the time, but a lot of the trees planted at that time - over 50 years ago - were clearly the wrong species. Some of them have grown hugely and they have huge root systems. The root systems have uplifted footpaths and private boundary walls. They have invaded front gardens and done damage to driveways on private properties. When residents raise these issues with their local authority, they are given a claim form, told to fill it in and send it to the council.
It is then passed on to Irish public bodies. Irish public bodies routinely denies liability, saying "It has nothing to do with us and there is no negligence to see here". I have a letter from IPB to a constituent, saying that while it notes their allegation that the damage was caused by the roots of a nearby tree, the cause of the cracking was yet to be established definitively. What else could possibly have uplifted a wall? It is utterly ridiculous and dishonest.
Can the Government intervene in this? It is not fair that elderly residents are left to foot the bills for repairing private property damaged by the State.

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Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/dail/2026-09-17/debate/main
Retrieved: 2026-09-28T05:50:48+00:00
Sitting date: 2026-09-17