Verona Murphy (Wexford, Independent)
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I thank the Leas-Cheann Comhairle for the opportunity to raise this very important issue. Last week my attention was drawn to a very serious and concerning issue, namely the discovery of black grass on a Teagasc plot in Oak Park, Carlow. To help myself understand more about this I listened to a very informative podcast on the Irish Farmers' Journalwebsite discussing the issue. For those who are not aware, black grass is an invasive weed which spreads very easily and very quickly. It can be found in a variety of settings but the setting of most concern is that of cereal crops. It is a major problem in the UK and can have a devastating impact on crop yields for tillage farmers. Teagasc made the discovery of black grass in a commercial wild flower mixture which was growing on one of its plots. The major issue here is the word "commercial", meaning essentially that anyone could have, and possibly may have, bought similar mixtures of commercial wild flower seeds containing black grass. We would be incredibly lucky if the only commercial mixture imported into Ireland contaminated with black grass just happened to be bought by Teagasc. Logic would suggest that this is unlikely and that many people have imported seed mixtures containing black grass from the UK.

Black grass is a major problem because it spreads so quickly and is herbicide-resistant. It is estimated that black grass costs the UK economy nearly £400 million and 800,000 tonnes of lost harvest every year. If we allow this weed to establish itself here, crop farming will be severely damaged. This is a very concerning development because under the pollinator plan, which is a Government-led initiative that aims to help bees, other pollinating insects and our wider biodiversity, local groups such as schools, community groups, Tidy Towns groups etc., may be importing wild flower seeds to use as part of their efforts. If black grass is contained in commercially available mixtures, there is an obvious and major risk of its being imported and sown unintentionally right across the country, having a potentially devastating impact on crops. This weed can spread very easily and rapidly and we must do all we can to stop it. In theory, the pollinator plan is a great idea but we must be alert to unintended consequences. If we are to encourage people to sow wild flower seeds and other related plants, it is imperative that we have our ducks in a row and that we have joined-up thinking when it comes to certification and regulation. It is to be hoped the discovery in Carlow was a one-off exception but we need to be vigilant.

There are at least two areas on which the Government can act. First, the Department needs to take this very seriously and put steps in place to raise awareness among those who have imported wild flower seeds and steps to prevent black grass from destroying crops. Second, I understand that the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine has no certification process for imported wild flower seeds. We are also importing straw which is not being tested for black grass. We cannot on the one hand encourage community groups and schools to sow wild flower seeds for biodiversity while, on the other hand, fail to ensure that such seeds being imported are not contaminated. I look forward to the Minister of State's response on the matter.

Martin Heydon (Kildare South, Fine Gael)
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I thank Deputy Verona Murphy for raising what is a really important issue and one about which I share her concern, namely, the discovery and recent reporting of black grass in wild seed mixes.

The standards for quality and purity of seed and propagating material are implemented at EU level through a suite of EU directives and regulations. In total, this legislation is implemented through 12 directives and a number of associated regulations. The legislation is applicable to the main agricultural crops, covering fodder plants, cereals, beet, potatoes, oilseed crops, vegetables, fruit, ornamental plants and forestry. The legislation is not applicable to wild flower seeds. While the legislation covers certain weed and disease species, there are no specific controls relating to black grass. The number of weed species covered in the legislation is very limited. Seed from third countries is certified and labelled under OECD rules. Although there is no specific tolerance for black grass in the OECD rules, they do state, "Crops containing an excessive number of weeds shall be rejected" and "The seed crop should be reasonably free from weeds and other crop species, especially those whose seeds may be difficult to separate from the seed crop during seed processing".

Since 1 January 2021 the UK-GB has been certifying seed according to OECD certification rules and has stated it will certify seed according to EU standards for the next two years. Member states may implement voluntary controls for seed certified in their own territories but cannot impose those controls for seed certified in another member state. The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine has a voluntary agreement with the Irish Seed Trade Association to impose zero tolerance for black grass, wild oats and sterile brome in cereal crops intended for certification in Ireland. My officials are in contact with the Irish Seed Trade Association with a view to extending this voluntary agreement to include wild flower seeds propagated in Ireland and imported wild flower species formulated into mixtures in Ireland. My Department strongly advises that only locally sourced wildflower seeds be planted and my officials are engaging with the industry to ensure locally produced seed is free of black grass.

In simple terms, my Department is taking swift and strong action to control what we can control in the short term, which is what is within our system in Ireland and the voluntary code that has worked very well for us in the past. The code is actually at a higher level than the international code, a higher level than the OECD rules and a higher level than EU regulations because we have zero tolerance. Officials from my Department therefore have a very stringent approach to inspection of all seed for certification here. It is inspected three times per year. It is visually inspected when growing and also when being assembled. There is zero tolerance; any black grass found is removed. The point about our using wild seed mixes into the future for this area is really important because the concerns the Deputy raises are very real, for tillage farmers in particular but also for commercial cereal crop growing. People with the best of intentions sowing wild seed mix might inadvertently sow an invasive species that we do not want to become widespread here in Ireland. My Department continues to keep a very close eye on this and is engaging very closely with the Irish Seed Trade Association on the matter.

Verona Murphy (Wexford, Independent)
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I thank the Minister of State for his response. What we need is a proactive approach. We normally see reaction, so I think we have time here. There certainly needs to be that type of engagement. If we have no certification process for imported wild flower seeds, that needs to be changed. We also need some form of social media campaign because there are so many community and voluntary groups involved in biodiversity, particularly at local county council level, that there should be a campaign that makes them aware of black grass and vigilant in identifying it at the very least. I understand that the Minister of State has had engagement with many of the farm organisations and local farmers, as have I. He will know that this is the last thing we can heap on tillage farmers and that we cannot put our crop produce at risk, particularly given what will happen with the CAP reform, convergence and our new eco schemes, or the proposal for the new eco schemes, and how much damage that will do to the farmers, with possible cuts of up to 40%. I therefore ask the Minister of State not to allow this to fester but to ensure that this is very much taken in hand by the Department.

Martin Heydon (Kildare South, Fine Gael)
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The Deputy can take it from me that we are taking this matter very seriously. She mentioned extending inspection of imported seeds. That option is not open to us under EU regulations. We can control what is propagated here. The seed that was discovered in the Teagasc plant was imported from the UK. We envisage that the vast majority of wild seed used in Ireland in future will be propagated here and that where seed from abroad is used, it will be assembled here and we will have control over that. In all those circumstances, we have zero tolerance for any level of black grass, which is being removed. The Deputy's points are valid and we take them on board. We are working on this issue.

This measure is not reactive. The voluntary code has been in place for a long time and covers black grass. We are increasing vigilance. I will bring back the Deputy's point about a promotional campaign, as it is a point worth making. We take this issue very seriously.

Catherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent)
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That concludes the Topical Issue Debate. I thank Members for their co-operation and staying within the time provided.