asked the Minister for Agriculture the County Councils, if any, which have been prosecuted in the past ten years for the presence of noxious weeds on road verges or other lands in their care and if public authorities may be so prosecuted in the same way as private land owners.

Public authorities are not exempt in any way from the provisions of the Noxious Weeds Act, 1936, and may be prosecuted under the Act, in exactly the same way as private land owners.

Records are not readily available as to the identity of persons prosecuted under the Act prior to 1971. Since that time however, no county council has been prosecuted under the Act.

Is the Minister aware that by far the greatest delinquents as far as noxious weeds are concerned are county councils? It is on waste ground and roadside verges owned by council councils that one finds the highest incidence of noxious weeds. The fact that no county council has been prosecuted since 1971 seems to suggest that the legislation is not being enforced in regard to county councils.

That is a statement.

I am aware that county councils transgress in certain areas at certain times, but I am not aware that they are the worst offenders. Certainly it would be desirable if the law were enforced against county councils as it is against other persons responsible for having noxious weeds on land under their charge.