Hedges provide far reaching social and environmental benefits. 

• They add to the scenic appearance of the landscape, giving a wooded impression, despite Ireland having the lowest native woodland cover in Europe.
• Hedges and trees regulate water movement in landscape, reducing flooding and improving water quality through aiding filtration of water.  They are important for fisheries as they reduce siltation (the accumulation of small particles of soil in waterways) in waterways. 
• As stock-proof boundaries hedges provide shelter to stock; prevent spread of disease between animals in adjacent plots; prevent soil erosion; and support beneficial invertebrates.
• The lack of deciduous woodlands in Ireland makes hedgerows an important surrogate habitat to a wide range of wildlife.  They support all levels of the food chain, from wild flowers, butterflies and ladybirds, to bats, hedgehogs and owls. There are 149 species of invertebrates in Hawthorn and Blackthorn, and two-thirds of Irish birds nest in Hedgerows!
• As a source of deciduous trees they contribute to carbon sequestration
• Hedges and trees can increase property values by anything from 5 – 20 %.  As such they are an asset to any development and should be retained and protected as part of any new development.  Some local authorities reflect this in County Development Plans.