Vol. 543 No. 4
3 Mr. McGinley asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage Gaeltacht and the Islands if her Department has conducted surveys regarding the incidence of reynoutria japonica, Japanese knotweed, on heritage or habitat areas here; and the plans she has to eradicate this invasive weed. [27300/01]
In the context of the overall responsibilities of Dúchas, the Heritage Service of my Department, for monitoring sites that are identified as being of ecological and conservation importance, particular attention is paid to the presence or otherwise of invasive weeds including the one that is commonly known as Japanese knotweed. I am pleased to say that my Department has not found any particular cause for concern in regard to this particular weed. Nevertheless, the position will continue to be closely monitored and any evidence of the existence of the weed will be dealt with in the course of ongoing management of sites.
Some people in my constituency refer to the Japanese knotweed as the coffee plant, as the Minister of State will know. I am sure the Minister must be very familiar with this plant because I read one of Michael Viney's articles in The Irish Times a number of weeks ago in which he said it is along the highways and byways of County Clare. This could be the ecological plague of the 21st century. It would be devastating if it got into our national heritage areas or our national parks.
Does the Minister realise that in the UK it is illegal to plant this weed and that in Wales, there are knotweed inspectors whose job it is to identify and exterminate it? Is the Minister aware that Philadelphia spends £1 million per year eradicating it from the public parks there? If it was to get into some of our heritage areas, it would be devastating. I ask the Minister that everything possible is done to keep it out of these areas.
It is growing very close to the national park in Glenveagh. It travels with soil. People dig up soil, throw it here and there and it hitchhikes its way along the roads and even along river banks. One centimetre of it is enough to cover acres if it is given time. It is taken seriously in Wales, England and America and I hope it will be taken just as seriously here because, as I said, it could be an ecological disaster – a plague – if it is allowed to spread. We should nip it in the bud.
I understand the Deputy's genuine concern. When any species is introduced, it can cause havoc from time to time in different type of habitats. I am told by those who have much more knowledge on botanical issues than I that it is not at this stage of particular concern in Ireland. I take the point that where it colonises, it can do tremendous damage. The Deputy said that it can take hold along roadsides, in waste places and other areas such as refuse dumps, river banks and where garden rubbish is dumped. Where plants are found to be a terrible nuisance – for example, the rhododendrons in Kerry – we have very specific programmes in the national parks to deal with them. I am not saying we should await the arrival of a problem but this situation is monitored and it is not seen as a particular threat at this time.
