Pat Breen (Clare, Fine Gael)
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73. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine to set out his plans to extend the registration date beyond 26 November 2015 for farmers to register as professional users of pesticides, given that a number of farmers may not have completed an approved pesticide course by the deadline due to illness or the unavailability of space on a locally-organised course; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39637/15]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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The Sustainable Use of Pesticides Directive establishes a framework for European Community action to achieve the sustainable use of pesticides by setting minimum rules to reduce the risks to human health and the environment that are associated with pesticide use. It also promotes the use of integrated pest management. The Directive is designed to further enhance the high level of protection achieved through the entire regulatory system for pesticides.

Implementation of the Sustainable Use of Pesticides Directive relies heavily on the training of the various people involved at all levels of the industry, including Professional Users i.e. any individual who applies professional use Plant Protection Products.

Anybody who applies professional use plant protection products, regardless of quantity or method of application, is deemed to be a professional user and, as such, is required to be appropriately trained and registered with DAFT.

After 26^thNovember 2015, there is an obligation on an individual to be appropriately trained as a professional user and registered with DAFM before they apply/spray professional plant protection products, in order to be compliant with the provisions of the Sustainable Use Directive (SUD).

In practice, only those farmers who intend to apply plant protection products immediately after the 26^thNovember date will have to complete their training and registration by that date. The vast majority of farmers who will not be applying plant protection products until the spring/summer of 2016 will have some further time to be trained and registered but they must complete this requirement before they apply/spray professional plant protection products.