Willie Penrose (Westmeath, Labour)
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Question 155: To ask the Minister for Agriculture and Food if she will take steps to ensure that local authorities and other State and semi State organisations, take steps at a management level to ensure that there are no noxious weeds allowed to grow on any of the lands in their possession, and that such authorities would be called upon to implement an effective management plan to ensure that this objective is achieved particularly in view of the fact that farmers have to take steps as part of their management proposals and REP scheme plans to eradicate the menace of noxious weeds such as ragwort; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [5916/07]

Mary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
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I wish to assure the Deputy that my Department takes seriously the issue of noxious weeds growing on the lands of State and semi-State organizations and Local Authorities. In 2006 my Department launched two publicity campaigns in February and May to raise public awareness of the need to control noxious weeds. These publicity campaigns consisted of: posters forwarded to public bodies including Garda Stations, Local Authorities, Department of Agriculture and Food regional offices, Teagasc offices and agricultural merchants for display in public places, Department press notices in the National press, and Department press releases. In addition all Local Authorities were written to again in August to remind them of their responsibilities under the Noxious Weeds Act.

My Department will be running this type of publicity campaign again in 2007 so that Public Bodies and Local Authorities continue the elimination of these weeds from public areas.