1798. Deputy Roderic O'Gorman asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if his attention has been drawn to the proliferation of giant hogweed and Himalayan balsam along the banks of the River Tolka, that Dublin City Council does not have the resources to combat currently which is contributing to its rapid spread; the steps he will take address the situation, to protect nature and ensure that the invasive species are effectively combatted; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [58032/26]

My Department's National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) is responsible for the implementation of the legislative framework around invasive alien species in Ireland, including the 2024 European Union (Invasive Alien Species) Regulations (SI 374/2024) which give effect to the EU IAS Regulation (1143/2014) in the national context.

Management and control of invasive alien species is primarily a matter for landowners. While my Department carries out considerable work on controls in National Parks and Nature Reserves, it does not have the resources or the powers required to extend such work into urban areas or the wider countryside. Much of the work in tackling invasive alien species happens at local level and is carried out by local authorities in their areas through their own biodiversity action plans.

The Local Biodiversity Action Fund, operated by the National Parks and Wildlife Service, supports a diverse range of local authority-led projects, and many of these projects deal with invasive alien species control.