Considering blackgrass a noxious weed under legislation has been proposed, Minister for Agriculture Charlie McConalogue has announced.

Proposed changes to the Noxious Weeds Act 1936 include declaring blackgrass on the list of controlled weeds and the removal of common barberry and male wild hop.

Limiting of controls to thistle and dock, as well as the retention of ragwort and wild oat, have also been proposed.

Minister McConalogue has opened a public consultation on proposed changes for a four-week period from 1 November 2024 to 30 November 2024.

“I welcome the opening of this public consultation on the noxious weeds legislation, as it is important that we engage with stakeholders and the public to hear their views on this issue.

“It is timely that this legislation is reviewed to ensure that the treatment of noxious weeds reflects modern practices and current challenges, including threats such as blackgrass,” he said.

Guidance

Guidance on enforcement has also been proposed to ensure that action will only be taken where there is a risk to agricultural land.

This is to ensure plants that are essential from a biodiversity perspective are protected in areas where there is no threat to agricultural land, Minister McConalogue said.

“I am pleased to progress the commitment I made in relation to bringing forward proposals to include blackgrass in the noxious weeds legislation.

“In addition, the proposed changes include enforcement guidance, which will help raise awareness of the importance of biodiversity and ensure controls are restricted to where there is a threat to agricultural land,” he added.

Public consultation

Written submissions should be sent by email to nwconsultation@agriculture.gov.ie with reference to ‘noxious weeds’ in the subject line.

All submissions should include a short summary of not more than 300 words setting out the main points.

Submissions from organisations or groups should include a brief background on the membership, aims and objectives of that organisation or group.

All written feedback to the proposal should be submitted by 4pm on 30 November 2024. Any submissions received after this deadline will not be taken into consideration.