Westport based independent councillor Christy Hyland said at this month's Mayo County Council meeting that coach operators are refusing to use some routes in Mayo along the Wild Atlantic Way - because hedges and tree branches are damaging their coaches.
Cllr Hyland told the meeting: "The Wild Atlantic Way is a fantastic success, but I know of coaches where drivers won't go down roads due to problems with overgrown verges, trees and hedges.
"We are not benefiting from the Wild Atlantic Way as much as we could be doing, because there is a problem with access to beaches and the beautiful scenery, the tourists can't get to them because the coaches don't want to damage their coach."
Independent Ballina councillor Gerry Ginty said the problem with cutting hedges was nothing to do with the birds, but more to do with "people with bird brains", telling the elected members: "I've seen places where hedges have been cut and you'd be better off going around and giving them a belt with a stick.
"They are not being cut back, if they were cut back properly we would not be here year in, year out listening to people about birds. Birds aren't the problem it is the people with bird brains who are the problem. Unless they use the intelligence that God gave them and the hedges were cut back at the right time of year, there would be no need for the us versus the birds saga, which goes on every year."
