COMHAIRLE CONTAE ÁTHA CLIATH THEAS
SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

MEETING OF SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

Monday, July 10, 2023

QUESTION NO.10

QUESTION: Councillor K. Mahon

To ask the Manager to make a statement on whether the Council or its contractors are using Round Up or other glyphosates to kill weeds?

REPLY:

The elected members of South Dublin County Council voted in July 2017 to adopt a partial ban on the use of glyphosate based herbicides and this partial ban continues to be enforced as intended in public parks, public gardens and in play spaces.  The Council's Public Realm section continues to seek ways to reduce the use of glyphosate in accordance with the relevant aims of the Pollinator, Biodiversity and Climate Action Plans.  Glyphosate continues to be used to control the growth of weeds on hard surfaces, in particular the road sweeping contract includes a weed control programme which provides for the treatment and removal of weeds throughout the period April to September.  The terms of the contract will enable the Council to demand the use of non-glyphosate treatment methods, once a suitable alternative method has been identified and tested.  A number of alternative methods have been examined and trialled however none have been found to be suitable to date.