Plant protection products are only registered for a certain time period. Once that time period is up, the product has to be registered again or else it goes off the market.

You should always make sure to use older product first from your store in case a product receives a new Pesticide Control Service (PCS) number.

Products also go off the market because a substance may be banned. When a product is being banned, there is notification in advance of a sell-by date for that product and a use-by date.

Once this date passes, the product cannot be used. It must be disposed of in a hazardous waste collection.

Illegal to use

This page shows a list of the products which are now illegal to use as they went off the market in 2023. Some of these products may have needed a change to formulation, while others were banned.

The products are a mix of products for gardeners and domestic users as well as products for use on farms and amenities.

If you receive an inspection from the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine or the Irish Grain Assurance Scheme, these products should not be in stock or on crop records for 2024. You should have a stock record of what is in your chemical store.

A full list of products which have been illegal to use since 2023 can be seen in Table 1.