Call for ban on controversial herbicide in Co Kildare

Kildare County Council has been called on to ban a controversial herbicide.

Campaigners claim that Glyphosate is  allegedly cancer-causing and is damaging our health, environment and wildlife.

Sinn Fein policitian Councillor Ide Cussen called on Kildare County Council to ban the use of Glyphosate in public areas within the county.

Cllr Cussen will raise the issue at the monthly County Council meeting in Naas next week.

According to a recent report by the World Health Organisation (WHO) Glyphosate is a “possible carcinogenic”.

The herbicide is allegedly linked to infertility, anti-biotic resistance, digestive problems including coeliac disease and gluten-intolerance and kidney disease in areas with hard water.

Another recent report stated that one-third of all bread in the UK contains Glyphosate residues.

However the Irish Farmers Association (IFA) claims that Glyphosate levels in Irish drinking water have not been found to be above levels that will damage human health.

The IFA said that the continued availability of Glyphosate is crucial in delivering a sustainable future for tillage farming in Ireland by controlling grass weeds in cereal crops.

Farmers claim grain production in Ireland would probably cease within five years of Glyphosate being banned.

The European Commission agreed last year to extend the current licence for the herbicide for a period of 18 months up to December 31, 2017.