COMHAIRLE CONTAE ÁTHA CLIATH THEAS
SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

MEETING OF SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

Monday, September 10, 2012

QUESTION NO. 15

QUESTION: Councillor W. Lavelle

To ask the Manager to ensure that when grass verges are being cut by council staff that the areas around lighting columns and signs are also strimmed at the same time and not ignored while being left to be sprayed at a later date?

REPLY:

The most efficient and cost effective method of controlling grass and weed growth around poles, columns and barriers in roadside verges is by use of herbicides (weedkillers). The spraying programe has been significantly disrupted this year due to the adverse weather conditions throughout the late spring and summer months. 

For herbicides to be fully effective, a number of factors are necessary, the most critical of which is the presence of favourable weather conditions.  For optimum performance, the weather conditions should be dry when applying the herbicide and also for a period of up to 6 hours after application. Wind speeds should be relatively low to avoid drift and damage to non target species. The ambient temperature is also important as it influences both growth rates and the rate at which the herbicide is taken up and metabolised within the plant. The prolonged period of very wet and unsettled weather, combined with lower than average temperatures since May, has caused significant disruption to the spraying programme in terms of both the application of the herbicides as well as a reduction in the effectiveness of the herbicides following application.

However, in recent weeks, with some improvement and settling of weather, an effective spraying programme has again been possible. Staff have been and will continue to spray herbicides, subject to weather conditions, in these areas to control the weeds. However with the heavy growth that has taken place over the summer, it will take some time for the effect of the herbicides to become apparent.