Tony Gregory (Dublin Central, Independent)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 445: To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if his attention has been drawn to the fact that, contrary to what he states, Coillte Teo informed him and he in turn informed this Deputy in his response to a written parliamentary question on 10 July 2008, that the Pesticide Safety Directorate in the United Kingdom has not approved the use of flexcoat when added to cypermethrin. [38488/08]

Tony Gregory (Dublin Central, Independent)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 446: To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he plans to continue to allow Coillte Teo to treat seedlings for use here and for export to the United Kingdom with a combination of flexcoat and cypermethrin despite the fact that this combination has not been approved by the Pesticide Safety Directorate in the United Kingdom and that in the United Kingdom, Coillte's competitors are required to apply flexcoat as a separate application in the interest of the safety of workers. [38489/08]

Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

I propose to take Questions Nos. 445 and 446 together.

Coillte Teoranta was established as a private commercial company under the Forestry Act 1988, and day-to-day operational matters are the responsibility of the company. I have, however, been advised by Coillte that, to protect young seedlings against the Large Pine Weevil, the company dips seedlings in a flexcoat and cypermethrin mix prior to dispatch from its nurseries. Cypermethrin is registered as an approved pesticide by the Pesticide Control Service (PCS) of my Department while Flexcoat does not require registration as it is outside the scope of the current legislation (because it acts by creating a physical barrier to harmful organisms) and consequently does not require registration and approval in Ireland.

The company assure me that it is not in breach of any United Kingdom Pesticide Safety Directorate (PSD) standards or guidelines relating to the export of cypermethrin-flexcoat treated trees into the UK market and that UK PSD does not regulate pre-treatment of products prior to their entry into the UK. Coillte are of the view that flexcoat and cypermethrin are applied separately in the UK as the combination of the chemicals there would be to use those chemicals in a way in which they are not licensed.

Coillte further advise that this combination of flexcoat with cypermethrin has facilitated a 25% reduction in cypermethrin usage in its nurseries. In terms of worker and environmental safety, the company anticipates that prolonging the efficacy of cypermethrin (through the use of flexcoat) will reduce the need for top-up sprays after planting. A further reduction of pesticide usage after planting must be considered beneficial in terms of the health and safety of forest workers and also the environment. In addition, by applying the chemical in the controlled environment of a dipping unit the company is reducing the threat of spray drift, which again can only be beneficial to workers and the environment. Another factor is that reduced chemical usage is one of the core principles of Sustainable Forest Management.

The usage of pesticides is an operational matter for the company and, once this is compliant with the relevant standards and guidelines, I have no plans to intervene in this matter.