Seán Sherlock (Cork East, Labour)
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917. To ask the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the measures which are being taken on managing and resolving the issue of knotweed in County Cork. [28679/17]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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I am aware of public concern about the impact of Japanese Knotweed. In this regard, I wish to advise that my Department is responsible for the implementation of the Wildlife Acts and the European Communities (Birds and Natural Habitats) Regulations 2011 (S.I. No. 477/2011), both of which prohibit the spreading of invasive species. In law, control of invasive species such as Japanese Knotweed is a matter for landowners. In this regard, my Department carries out considerable work on controlling invasive species in National Parks and Nature Reserves..

My Department does not collect data from local authorities on the incidence of Japanese Knotweed in their particular counties or administrative areas, or indeed their actions to deal with this species. This is a matter for the Local Authorities themselves. However, information on the distribution of invasive species in Ireland, including Japanese Knotweed, is available on the invasive species section of the National Biodiversity Data Centre (NBDC) website at .

There is considerable work being carried out at present by a range of agencies in this area, including many Local Authorities.

My Department has also worked closely over the years with the Northern Ireland Environment Agency (NIEA) to fund and manage the Invasive Species Ireland Project. Information on general management approaches to invasive plant species is available from the Invasive Species Ireland website: .