Minister for Heritage Josepha Madigan has faced numerous amendments in her ongoing attempt to pass the Heritage Bill 2016. The bill must pass before the Oireachtas recess next Thursday if it is to become law before the 1 August hedge-cutting ban. It would allow trimming of roadside hedges next month, and controlled vegetation burning in March “only in years when the winter rainfall is higher than average”, Minister Madigan said. IFA hill chair Flor McCarthy called for an early conclusion and immediate implementation.