Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein)
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1659.To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine to list the initiatives and the funding spent by his Department in the past ten years to rid the country of noxious species of plants; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32006/24]

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) is responsible for overseeing the control and the prevention of the spread of certain weeds under the Noxious Weeds Act, 1936. The following weeds are currently listed in the Noxious Weeds Act: Ragwort, Thistle, Dock, Common barberry, Male wild hop and Wild oat.

Under the Act, it is an offence not to prevent the spread of these weeds. Owners and occupiers of land must ensure that they abide by the provisions in the Act. ‘Notices to Destroy’ letters are issued in all instances where my Department becomes aware of the presence of noxious weeds, either as a result of inspections carried out by my Department or as a result of reports made by the public. Follow-up action is undertaken to ensure that the notifications are acted upon and that the weeds have been dealt with as stipulated in the Notice to Destroy. The owner, occupier, user or managers of lands on which these weeds are present and not being controlled are subject to the provisions of the Act, including a fine of up to €1,000 on conviction. No prosecutions have been taken under the Act in recent years. As it is the owner of the owners and occupiers of land that must abide by the Act, the cost to eradicate the weed is borne by them.

In addition, farmers are obliged to keep their lands free from noxious weeds under the cross-compliance measures set down for farming practices. Failure to do so can result in the application of a reduction of their payment entitlement. Modern farming has reached a level of specialisation and intensification which makes weed control a fundamental and automatic practice.

My Department also continues to engage with all County Councils, Local Authorities and the National Roads Authority to ensure a consistent programme of treatment and disposal of such weeds on an ongoing basis.

In the 10 year period 2014-2023 there were 198 complaints relating to noxious weeds and 56% of these complaints related to agricultural land.

Information on Noxious Weeds and guidance notes on best practice for control are available on the gov.ie website.