The Noxious Weeds Act 1936 provides for the control of the spread of the following six noxious weeds: thistle, ragwort and dock — 1937 order; common barbery — 1958 order; male wild hop plant — 1965 order; and wild oat — 1973 order. Under this Act, it is an offence not to prevent the spread of certain weeds, which are scheduled as noxious weeds under the Act. The owner, occupier, user or manager of lands on which these weeds are growing is liable, upon conviction, to be fined. In the case of fences and margins of public roads, the local authority charged with the maintenance of such roads is the responsible body.
The Department is currently examining the provisions of the Act with a view to updating and strengthening them in accordance with good agricultural and environmental practice. My Department has written to all local authorities charged with the maintenance of public roads, to seek their co-operation in the control of these weeds on roadsides and other areas under their control. Consideration will be given to timely press releases and to eradication campaigns in the coming year. In the present circumstances, I consider that advice and persuasion is the most appropriate policy to pursue and that the good will of local authorities and others can be relied on to take appropriate action. A Teagasc advisory leaflet is available for the control of noxious weeds and is revised in line with advances in new control methods.
My Department received a number of complaints concerning noxious weeds and, on investigation, the landowners concerned were issued with a notice to destroy the weeds. Follow-up visits were made to ensure that the notices were complied with.
Control of noxious weeds is now a cross-compliance requirement for single farm payment under good agricultural and environmental practice. There have been no prosecutions in 2002, 2003 or 2004 under the Act. A publicity campaign will be launched next year by my Department to raise awareness of the need to control noxious weeds.