A Letterkenny councillor is advocating for a tree audit in council housing developments to prepare for future severe weather events.
Councillor Gerry McMonagle raised concerns at the Letterkenny-Milford Municipal District’s July meeting, citing incidents during Storm Éowyn in January, where trees came close to damaging homes in local estates.
Cllr McMonagle emphasized that the increasing severity of weather necessitates a proactive assessment of potentially hazardous trees and a plan to address them.
“We are not against trees themselves, but rather concerned about their placement,” Cllr McMonagle stated. “Many trees were planted in housing developments 20-25 years ago, and are now causing issues for residents. We witnessed the threat posed by trees in January, and indeed, many trees were lost.”
He further noted that many trees are now damaging pavements and growing under roadways.
The council’s response indicated that, under the 1993 Roads Act, landowners are responsible for ensuring trees on their property don’t pose a risk to public road users.
Therefore, in housing estates, tree management falls under the purview of the landowner or the residents’ association, depending on who is responsible for the green spaces within the estate.
The council affirmed that it monitors and follows up with landowners regarding the removal of dangerous trees.
Cllr McMonagle sought clarification, arguing that tree management is an “awful burden” to place on residents’ associations.
“If an incident occurs in a green area, such as a tree falling on a house or a vehicle causing injury or fatality, would the residents’ association be held liable?” he questioned.
Cllr McMonagle expressed concerns that Donegal County Council could be held accountable for accidents in council-owned developments.
“Management companies are uncommon in this town, as we know from experience,” he added. “We need to act decisively and remove trees to safeguard people’s property and lives.”
Audit sought on trees in council estates to brace for future storms was last modified: July 14th, 2025 by
