Pat Buckley (Cork East, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I thank Mr. Callanan for the opening statement. I also thank Mr. James Walsh, who brought this to our attention.

Mr. Callanan covered a lot in the opening statement. A point I did not think about until Mr. Walsh raised it was spraying around public parks, children's playgrounds and so on. Is there any way to put up signage before this is phased out? In fairness to Cork City Council and Cork County Council, they are working on it and some of the municipal districts have taken this on board and will not use pesticides. Is there a way of putting up signs to say, for example, that they will be spraying in two days' time in a certain playground as an additional warning for people? If people are unaware they could be treading on sprayed grass or weeds when entering a playground, they will not be aware they could be taking some of these pesticides home. That is my question.

I want to add a word of congratulation. We have had awful problems with Japanese knotweed and I know it is an expensive and slow process to get rid of it. Even on the railway lines in Cork, especially this year, I have seen that the treatment and extinguishing of Japanese knotweed has been successful, which is to be welcomed. That is a separate issue but I want to put it on the record.

To go back to my question, is there a way for us, as legislators, to put something in place so there so should be signage or some kind of notice around public parks and playgrounds to warn people that pesticides are still in use and to take caution while they are in use?