A West Waterford farmer who uprooted a hedgerow got away with an 'act of ecocide' according to a local Green Party TD
A kilometre of hedgerow was removed, destroying a centuries-old habitat for mid-size mammals including foxes and badgers.
Marc Ó Cathasaigh said a shortage of conservation rangers in the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) is resulting in damage to biodiversity that cannot be undone.
"It's estimated that the trees and the stonewall there had been in place for what is estimated to be around 200 years so it would have been a significant home for wildlife and biodiversity in the area," he said.
The Waterford TD said speed and boots on the ground were vitally important so that action can be taken before it is too late.
"When you're responding to something like a hedgerow or illegal felling of trees speed is of the essence because if you don't get a range in quickly the damage is done.
"We need to make sure that there's an enforcement piece of legislation so if people who are aware of the laws and are still acting against them are prosecuted and the laws are enforced," Ó Cathasaigh said.
