Andrew Doyle (Wicklow, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Deputy for her good wishes.

All "copper compounds", including copper sulphate, used for crop protection purposes - predominantly organic production - were reviewed at EU level in 2009.  At that time, EU conditional approval was granted to "copper compounds" for a period of ten years.  It was then left up to member states to approve individual products which conform with the EU approval.  An application has recently been received by my Department to authorise a product containing a copper compound and there may well be additional product applications in response to demand, primarily, as I said, by the organic sector.

As with all plant protection products, authorisation and use conditions for products containing a copper compound will be established based on the comprehensive risk assessments carried out. In addition, risk mitigation measures such as buffer zones or the use of personal protective equipment are often applied.

Like all plant protection products, there are limits as to how much of each individual product can be applied to a given area, and copper compounds are no different. Member states are required to pay particular attention to issues such as impurities in the material manufactured, operator safety and the protection of water and non-target organisms.

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