Martin Browne (Tipperary, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Regarding banning herbicides in public areas and the review of local authority responses on this issue, at the public meeting of the committee on Thursday, 12 May 2022, it was agreed that the secretariat would write to all 31 local authorities with a list of questions about whether they use herbicides in public areas - petition No. 8 of 2022. To date, 26 of the 31 local authorities have replied. Only Carlow County Council, Galway County Council, Kildare County Council, Westmeath County Council and Wexford County Council are yet to reply. The secretariat has reviewed these responses. On the basis of this review, we know that those 26 local authorities all still use chemical herbicides in public areas. However, the vast majority are reducing their use of chemical herbicides with some only using them for limited specific purposes and many also using and trialling non-chemical alternatives, such as Foamstream and the mechanical removal of weeds. For example, Dublin City Council, Fingal County Council and Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council have phased out the use of chemical herbicides in many public places. These local authorities now only use chemical herbicides in public areas to treat invasive alien species which are particularly difficult to remove and in specific public settings, such as golfing greens in Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council and graveyards in Fingal.

Some local authorities also noted that while they are trying to minimise the use of chemicals, it is difficult to remove invasive alien species, such as Japanese knotweed and giant hogweed, on a large scale without glyphosate. Others local authorities including Wicklow County Council and Fingal County Council have developed policies which aim to reduce the use of chemical herbicides further. Overall, there is a positive and proactive movement across most of the country to reduce the use of chemical herbicides in public areas.

The committee recommends that: the secretariat follow up one last time with those local authorities yet to reply; the secretariat continue with its review of the local authority responses and work on its report on banning herbicides in public areas over the summer recess; and note in the committee's report if any of the outstanding local authorities fail to respond to the final reminder. Do members have any views? I wish to let Senator Buttimer know what was decided yesterday. The secretariat has been in touch with the local authorities and they have ignored us as well.