Conor McGuinness (Waterford, Sinn Fein)
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619. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if his Department has considered reintroducing or substituting a safe chemical alternative to Asulox for bracken control in uplands. [35817/25]

Martin Heydon (Kildare South, Fine Gael)
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The plant protection product Asulox, containing the active substance asulam, is not authorised for placing on the market or use in Ireland. Authorisations for products containing asulam were withdrawn following an EU non-approval decision for the substance in 2011 (Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) No 1045/2011).

Temporary emergency use authorisations were granted in Ireland in subsequent years for the control of bracken in limited areas, in accordance with provisions specified in Regulation (EC) No 1107/2009 concerning the placing of plant protection products on the market, due to a lack of effective alternative control methods at that time.

Temporary authorisations for Asulox have not been granted in recent years. Evidence from trials conducted in 2022 with an alternative product (Eagle) that was already authorised in Ireland for other uses, and contained a different active substance, indicated reasonable control of bracken as well.

My Department subsequently issued an off-label extension of use authorisation for Eagle for use in grassland and forestry situations for bracken control, which is still in place.