Vol. 436 No. 7
59 Mr. Timmins asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Forestry the weeds that are listed as noxious under the Noxious Weeds Act; and if he will give details of the number of prosecutions which have been taken under this Act during the past five years.
Weeds scheduled as noxious weeds under the Noxious Weeds Act, 1936 are ragworth, thistle, dock, common barberry, male wild hop and spring wild oat.
There have been no prosecutions under the Act in the past five years. Modern farming has reached a level of specialisation and intensification at which weed control is a fundamental and automatic element in good farm practice. My Department and the advisory services of Teagasc continue to issue publicity statements and information leaflets on the control of noxious weeds and, in the course of normal contacts with farmers, draw attention to the need for weed control where appropriate.
