The Pesticides Control Service is urging users of a range of pesticides which will be illegal by the end of this year to use them up during this spring/summer season.
More than 80 pesticides which are currently registered for both professional and amateur use will no longer be legal, following a review by the EU of permissible "active substances".
All the products are classified as plant protection products. Many of them will be familiar with gardeners - the active substance dichlorprop, which is used in popular lawn weed and moss killers, is included on the phase-out list.
Thus three lawn weedkillers manufactured by UK-based Doff Portland Limited are being removed from the market because they contain dichlorprop.
Mr John Dymock, technical manager of Doff Portland, explained that dichlorprop is being removed from the market because manufacturers such as his company cannot commercially justify the costs of studies required by the EU Pesticide Review. "There is no safety issue in its withdrawal," he said. It is understood a replacement substance, dichlorprop-P, has been developed and is being supported by the EU review, but products containing it are awaiting approval. From the end of this year rose gardeners will no longer be able to use a number of popular products such as Nimrod T and Roseclear 2 because one of their active substances - triforine - which combats diseases such as blackspot and powdery mildew, is also being withdrawn.
Gardening expert and owner of Mackeys Garden Centre in south Dublin, Ms Breda Rosengrave, is happy that products such as these are being withdrawn because "despite the instructions on the packets I don't think the public use many of them correctly".
She believes the reduction in the amount of pesticides available for amateur use will "make people be better gardeners. It'll make people ask more questions, wonder why they had to use chemicals and force people to keep their plants healthy rather than just focusing on the cosmetic factor".
Two general purpose disinfectants with plant protection properties are also listed for withdrawal this year. Jeyes Fluid, which contains, tar acids will no longer be available for use as a moss or lichen killer. The Pesticides Control Service (PCS) is advising farmers or other end users of the listed pesticides that they "must be disposed of as toxic waste at the expense of the owner".
A Department of the Environment spokesman suggested members of the public should call their local authorities to find out what particular hazardous waste disposal facilities are available for disposal of illegal pesticides.
For details of products listed for removal see the PCS website: www.devweb4.agriculture.gov.ie/news.htm