Mr. James Walsh:

Many public bodies have already significantly reduced their use of PPPs. In Cork city, their use has been cut out completely, 100%, and now one will see grass and weeds growing out of kerbs. One sees that a lot in Dublin as well because the local authorities in Dublin have also reduced the use of PPPs by about 90% in the last couple of years. Some have hired Foamstream machines. As far as I know, Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council was the first to hire Foamstream machines and Fingal County Council also uses them. That technology goes to the Deputy's other question. Foamstream can be used on invasive species but the plants must be treated when they are small to medium in size and every six weeks during the growing season. If a Japanese knotweed plant is too big, the hot water stream will not work but if it is treated when it is small to medium in size it will respond as well to Foamstream as any other grass or weed. Foamstream uses organic vegetable oils and has been used successfully by Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown and Fingal County Councils. They were the first to buy Foamstream machines in Ireland. They are used in New York, Miami, Barcelona and many other places.

Apart from Foamstream technology, a lot of councils have stopped spraying in housing estates and are using mechanical options like strimmers and manual options like hoes and so on. They probably need more manpower because they are not using sprays but they are doing it successfully in a lot of places in Ireland. It is working. The councils that are persisting in the use of sprays are doing so because they do not understand the law or out of pure habit. They just keep renewing the contract with the sprayer and are not taking any interest in it. One can clearly see that other methods are working well, including manual and mechanical options and in Dublin, the Foamstream technology. There are plenty of alternatives. I lived in Holland previously and used to see vans pulling up outside my home. Six guys would jump out with shovels and hoes and clear an estate and then move on to the next estate. I do not know if PPPs were ever used in public areas in Holland but certainly since 2014 most weedkillers have been banned, except for agricultural use. Many countries are able to do it and a lot of towns in Ireland are already doing without PPPs.

There is no excuse for those councils that are persisting with their use, especially near trees. Cork City Council was one of the worst in the country last year but there were so many complaints that it went from being one of the worst to being one of the best in the country. One would often see rings around trees after an area was sprayed. However, with strimmers it is important not to get too close to the trees so what they do now is leave a small amount of grass growing around the base of the trees. Things like that are very easy and effective. Thanks to the pollinator plan, one sees dandelions growing along primary and secondary roads nowadays. Councils have stopped spraying them and it is probably saving them money. They are not spending money on chemicals or on the guys who were doing the spraying. They are leaving things to grow a bit more. In a lot of ways, they are doing it already in a lot of places.

I hope I have answered all the Deputy's questions.