Martin Browne (Tipperary, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I know what Mr. Walsh is saying about rural areas and letting the pollinator flowers and so on grow. I assure him, however, that if weeds start to grow on the footpaths in a housing estate, we as public representatives will be hit with demands to get the council up and to get rid of them, no matter how. I know from experience - and I am sure the other members will tell Mr. Walsh the same - that the first thing local authorities will tell us is that they do not have the manpower. I think the best option to go for, therefore, is the foam spray or something like it. I can mention this to Tipperary County Council's Joe McGrath but he will tell me straight up to go away, that the council does not have the manpower to do the work. We will give the councils the options. Mr. Walsh has told us how this works in Holland, but I think the best hope we have of changing the councils' attitude is to go for a different machine or something. I would love to see more manpower, and I am sure every supervisor in Roscommon, Cork and everywhere else would love extra men, but at the minute there is very little chance of that.