Councillors urge Tipperary Council to stop using glyphosate weed killer over health risks

Nine councillors joined forces to collectively call on Tipperary County Council to stop using glyphosate weed killer due to the health risks associated with it but failed to receive the commitment they were seeking.

The cross-party group of north Tipperary councillors were told the Council has committed to reducing the use of herbicides and pesticides but glyphosate is not banned in Ireland, is approved for use in the EU and is sometimes needed for control of invasive plant species.

This was the response Cllrs Fiona Bonfield, Cllr Seamus Morris, Cllr Michael O’Meara, Cllr Louise Morgan Walsh, Cllr JP O’Meara, Cllr John Carroll, Cllr Phyll Bugler, Cllr Joe Hannigan and Cllr Pamela Quirke-O’Meara received to the motion they tabled and was unanimously passed at Tipperary County Council’s July meeting.

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The motion urged the Council to refrain from using this weed killer. The councillors argued glyphosate was “banned in most European countries and everyone is aware of the serious health effects” attributed to its use.

The Council, in its written response, pointed out it has committed to reducing the use of herbicides and pesticides in Council owned spaces to improve biodiversity levels and is a partner to the All-Ireland Pollination Plan.

The Council noted glyphosate is not banned in Ireland and is approved for use in the EU until December 15, 2023.

It also noted that glyphosate is a herbicide sometimes used for control of invasive species.

Several of the councillors who put their names to the motion expressed disappointment with the Council’s failure to commit to stop using the weed killer.

Fine Gael Cllr Phyll Bugler told the meeting glyphosate was a carcinogen that was “very, very dangerous” and appealed to the Council to reconsider its position and use alternative weed killers.

“You all know the health risks of glyphosate. It gets into the water and ends up in rivers and going into our drinking water.

“I am disappointed to see it’s still apporved in the EU until 2033,” she said.

The Council’s Director of Roads Services Liam Brett responded that the written response to the motion was agreed with the Council’s Roads and Biodiversity sections and again stressed the authority’s commitment to reduce the use of herbicides and pesticides.

He highlighted that glyphosate was required to tackle difficult invasive plant species.

“There is also a concern about really invasive species and the increasing costs and labour that comes into management of them without using the most appropriate product.

“That is the balance that is trying to be found here,” he explained.

Cllr Bugler had the last word on the issue. She said Roundup now has a weed killer product that doesn’t use glyphosate and urged the Council to try it. The Tidy Towns group she is involved in used this alternative weedkiller, the Ballina councillor pointed out.

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