COMHAIRLE CONTAE ÁTHA CLIATH THEAS
SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

South Dublin County Council Crest

MEETING OF SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

Monday, December 08, 2025

QUESTION NO. 1

QUESTION: Councillor D. Adelaide

To ask the Chief Executive if the current contract for road sweeping is on track for a 10% reduction annually in the use of glyphosate based herbicide?

REPLY:

South Dublin County Council is committed to reducing the use of glyphosate in it's maintenance operations.  A partial ban on glyphosate adopted by the elected members in July 2017 remains in place and is enforced in public parks, gardens, and play spaces. In these areas weed growth is managed through hand removal, strimming, mowing or by allowing vegetation to grow to promote biodiversity.  Complementing these measures the Council has significantly shifted its approach to open space management since 2019 with over 210 hectares of meadows (long and short flowering meadows) now in place across the county. This supports biodiversity and aligns with the aims of the Council’s Pollinator, Biodiversity and Climate Action Plans.

Glyphosate-based herbicides are currently used by the Council's Public Realm Operations Section primarily on high profile entrance roads into the county and in the provision of the road sweeping services contract for the control of weeds on hard surface areas.  The usage of herbicides is decreasing in the Council's maintenance operations with a 13% reduction in usage over the three years from 2022 to '24 as previously reported.  On 1st October 2025, the Council entered into a new contract for road sweeping services including weed control and this is the single largest user of herbicide in the Council's maintenance operations.  A requirement has been included in the new contract for a 10% reduction annually in the use of glyphosate based herbicide through the control of weeds by alternative environmentally friendly means and this will reduce the Council's use of glyphosate by half over the life of the contract.  This reflects the Council's proactive efforts to minimise reliance on glyphosate in line with the Sustainable Use of Pesticides Directive as well as our own Biodiversity, Pollinator and Climate Action Plans. The council is confident that the required reduction in use of glyphosate is achievable through the life of the contract.  As the use of glyphosate is seasonal, initial evidence of the reduction is expected mid-2026.