I welcome the Minister of State to the House. I raise this matter because of the potential risk to public health being caused by the spread of this weed. In Latin it is called heracleum mantegazzianum and was introduced here as a Victorian garden plant. The problem is that it has now spread to invade several river valleys and it is predicted that it will go on to invade waste ground. The danger to public health arises because the sap of the plant contains phytotoxim which causes a type of burn and this renders human skin sensitive to ultra violet light so that the effect is like permanent sunburn. People can become sensitive to sunlight for the rest of their life as a result of coming into contact with this plant.
The Minister will be aware of the warning to sunbathers that they run the risk of getting skin cancer so there must be a similar risk associated with burns from giant hogweed. Children are expecially vulnerable, particularly where they use the stalks of the plant as blow pipes. I understand it is possible to be stung even through a T-shirt. The worst affected areas are Dublin city and county, north Wicklow, parts of Kildare, Limerick city and county and I understand the Barrow Valley, Sligo and Galway are also affected. I am also advised that part of the Newport river in Tipperary has been abandoned by the local angling club because of the weed.
I am aware that the Department of Agriculture and Food have a very rigorous procedure for establishing the safety of chemicals used in agriculture. These chemicals would be dismissed out of hand if there was the slightest risk of causing cancer or even a risk of causing skin rash or dermatitis. There is a conclusive case for taking action to eradicate giant hogweed. There is widespread public concern about this plant. It grows to a height of about 13 feet. Angling clubs are also concerned and I understand the matter has been brought to the attention of various Government Departments by personnel of the Central Fisheries Board.
I appreciate that the Minister of State, Deputy Hyland, has agreed to deal with this matter because I understand several people were reluctant to deal with it. We must not allow the problem to be put on the long finger and be kicked around between different Government Departments and county councils. Parts of Europe are seriously infested with giant hogweed which has formed blocks of several hectares of dense plants in certain areas. It has been the subject of an international scientific conference and one botanist I have spoken to believes it will multiply in Ireland exponentially; in other words there will be a population explosion of the weed.
The Minister would be entitled to argue that giant hogweed is not on the list of noxious weeds and, therefore, it is not within his power to control. This is a more serious problem than treating the plant as a noxious weed and I urge him to intervene with whoever is responsible to eradicate this plant. I recommend that a survey be carried out by his Department and the Central Fisheries Board or some other competent body to establish the extent of giant hogweed, where it is growing and its rate of spread.
I also believe that it is possible to control this weed relatively cheaply. Gly-phostate which is sold in this country under the trade name of "Roundup"' could be used to control giant hogweed. It is a safe chemical to use in waterways and it is safe for users. It would be best to start at the highest point in a watercourse and working downstream because the weed is spread by the seeds being carried in flood water and deposited on river banks. I heard earlier today that in Denmark it is being spread on the roofs of cars by people taking it home as a souvenir. It is a very heavy seed and gets carried around the country in this way. By spending a few thousand pounds on a chemical which could be sprayed by a knapsack sprayer, the hogweed could be kept under control. This may be a matter for the Department of the Environment or the county councils, but I appeal to somebody somewhere to take responsibility for dealing with this matter.
