Irish households should take note as an important rule regarding hedges across the country, including garden hedges, is set to change for the coming six months
18:46, 19 Aug 2026Updated 18:57, 19 Aug 2026
Gardening experts say the best time to cut a beech hedge is in late summer, ideally in August(Image: Getty)
Irish homes that have garden hedges should be aware of an upcoming rule change starting from September.
For the past number of months, people around Ireland have been banned from cutting any hedges due to strict rules regarding how they can be maintained throughout the year.
From 1 March and 31 August, you are prohibited from destroying, cutting, burning or grubbing – which refers to digging or excavating.
There are some limited exemptions to the restriction, including where cutting is necessary for public health or safety, such as clearing vegetation that is obstructing a public road or affecting sightlines.
Certain agricultural and forestry activities, as well as some road and construction works, may also qualify. However, these exemptions do not give people permission to disturb nesting birds: nests and eggs of protected wild birds remain protected throughout the year, so anyone carrying out work should check for nesting activity first.
However, this ban will come to an end on Tuesday, 1 September, until the end of February.
The reason behind the ban is to do with wildlife as it allows birds and other mammals to find a mate and rear their young.
Many of these species are endangered, with the ban aimed at improving their chances of breeding successfully.
If you see someone illegally cutting a hedge during the banned period, people are asked to report it.
You can do this by contacting your local National Parks and Wildlife Services (NPWS) office or your local Garda station.
When you see a violation take place, you should also make note of certain information, including time and date of the incident, plus the registration of any vehicles involved.
This is because whoever you report the crime to may not be able to respond immediately.
It has also been explained that it might be useful to take a photo of the incident, especially to record the vehicle registration number, however, you don’t need to send these to the NPWS or Gardaí when reporting the incident.
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