I wish to raise an issue that is of major concern to me and rural Ireland. It is of concern on a broader scale as well. I refer to the control of the noxious weed called ragwort. Anyone who travels on a road will see this yellow weed and to the uninformed, it may look well. It is a nice yellow weed to view but it is a noxious weed. Livestock and horses avoid eating it. If they eat it in a wilted or withered form after it has been cut, it is poisonous.

It is the responsibility of the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine to oversee the control of this weed under the Noxious Weeds Act 1936. However, based on discussing the issue with farmers and general observation, its prevalence is in fields close to roads and it is very prevalent on roadsides. It is not being controlled by Transport Infrastructure Ireland, TII, or the local authorities and the seeds are spreading. Farmers, even with the best husbandry in the world, have lost control in their fields adjacent to roads because it is spreading from the roadside. It is important that the Leader communicates with the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine which has responsibility. Officials need to communicate with TII, the local authorities and the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport. Until it is controlled on the roadsides and the verges, the farmers will be fighting a losing battle.