Mr. James Walsh:

One can see the difference along primary and secondary roads, with the pollinator plan. The area near where I live, between Midleton and Youghal, is beautiful. Spraying along those roads stopped and one can now see wildflowers growing along the sides of the roads. There has been a change due to the pollinator plan, from having everything being straight-cut to instead having wild flowers. That change has already happened. Some councils, out of habit, keep hiring contractors to use sprays. It happens anywhere that they find it hard to use strimmers, such as at road sign poles, trees, gravel areas or any hard surface area. They find it difficult to do anything but spray. If they took their time with hoes and shovels and were more careful, they could leave a bit to grow alongside the trees and road signs, even with the Foamstream that is used in Dublin. There are many ways to do it. Many other countries get by without herbicide and there is no need for us to use it. It is a matter of habit at this stage.