Kildare landowner fined €15k for hedgerow destruction out of season

A COUNTY Kildare landowner was prosecuted for the destruction of vegetation on land not then cultivated at Lattensbog, Caragh during the birds nesting season, contrary to section 40 of the Wildlife Act.

This was revealed in a communique from the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) to the Kildare Nationalist, as the prosecution occurred at a sitting of Naas District Court on 7 July, a date our reporter was not in attendance.

The case was taken by the NPWS of the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, prosecuted by William Maher BL, instructed by David Gibbons, state solicitor.

At previous sitting of Naas District Court on 6 November 2023, Sean Taaffe, Blacktrench, Naas, through his solicitor, had entered an early guilty plea to all three summons relating to breaches of the Wildlife Act.

Mr Taaffe had given an undertaking to the court to carry out to carrying out remedial work at Lattensbog.

However, on 7 July, at Naas District Court, the court heard that limited remedial work had been carried out, so Judge Zaidan imposed the maximum fine of €5,000 on each summons, resulting in a total fine of €15,000.

Section 40 of the Wildlife Act prohibits the cutting, grubbing or destruction of any vegetation growing on any land not then cultivated or in hedgerows or ditches during the period from 1 March to 31 August.

The prohibition of the cutting and removal of vegetation (including hedgerows), except in limited situations, during the bird nesting season (1 March to 31 August annually).

This is aimed not only at protecting important habitats for birds during this critical time when birds are nesting and rearing fledglings, but also to protect the wide-ranging biodiversity from wildflowers to insect life that occupy these important farmland habitats.