This release contains data on active substances contained in plant protection products placed on the market in Ireland annually from 2011 to 2023. These substances are classified as:
The data are expressed in measurement units of tonnes of active substances.
This release also contains data on Harmonised Risk Indicator 1 (HRI1) from 2011 to 2022. Harmonised risk indicators are used to show trends in risk from pesticide use and measure progress achieved in relation to the sustainable use of pesticides. HRI1 is an index calculated by categorising the active substances in plant protection products into four groups based on the level of risk associated with each product, applying hazard weightings to the four groups, and taking as a base (equal to 100) the weighted average for the period 2011-2013. The greater the risk, the higher the weighting. The hazard weightings for Groups 1, 2, 3 and 4 are 1, 8, 16 and 64 respectively.
The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine collects data on sales of plant protection products annually from authorisation holders and marketing companies involved in placing plant protection products on the market. Returns are requested from all relevant companies. The data are submitted by the Department to Eurostat annually. Ireland, along with other EU member states, is required to calculate and publish Harmonised Risk Indicators in line with Directive 2009/128/EC. The results are published by the Pesticide Registration and Control Divisions of the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine.
All marketing companies and authorisation holders of plant protection products in Ireland are registered with the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine. The Department collects data on sales of plant protection products annually from all companies that place plant protection products on the market.
These data cover agricultural and non-agricultural uses. Biocides are not included in this report.
A pesticide is something that prevents, destroys, or controls a harmful organism or disease, or protects plants or plant products during production, storage and transport. The term "pesticides" covers plant protection products (such as herbicides, fungicides, insecticides, acaricides, molluscicides and plant growth regulators) as well as biocides (such as rodenticides and insecticides).
Plant protection products are pesticides that protect crops or other plants. They are primarily used in the agricultural sector for areas such as arable crops, fodder crops, grassland, vegetables, and fruit production, but are also used in forestry, horticulture, amenity areas and in home gardens.
They contain at least one active substance and have one of the following functions:
An active substance is any chemical, plant extract, pheromone or micro-organism (including viruses) that has action against pests or on plants, parts of plants or plant products.
Fungicides and bactericides prevent or mitigate damage caused by fungi and bacteria to living organisms such as people, animals, plants including agricultural crops, as well as physical structures such as buildings and plant products.
Herbicides are substances used to control unwanted plants such as weeds.
Insecticides are chemicals used to control insects by killing them or preventing them from engaging in undesirable or destructive behaviours. Acaricides are used to kill ticks and mites.
Molluscicides are used in agriculture or gardening to control gastropod pests, such as slugs and snails, which damage crops or other plants by feeding on them.
Plant growth regulators are chemicals used to modify plant growth such as increasing branching, suppressing shoot growth, increasing return bloom, removing excess fruit, or altering fruit maturity.
Before an active substance can be used within a plant protection product in the EU, it must be approved by the European Commission. All active substances are reviewed at EU level under Regulation (EC) No. 1107/2009.
The main Irish legislation concerning the control, marketing and use of plant protection products is S.I. 155 of 2012 - European Communities (Sustainable Use of Pesticides) Regulations 2012 and S.I. 159 of 2012 - European Communities (Plant Protection Products) Regulations 2012. Plant protection products may only be distributed and used in Ireland if they have been authorised by the Irish competent authority, the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine.
Regulation (EC) No. 1185/2009 of the European Parliament and of the Council established a common framework for the production of statistics on the placing on the market and agricultural use of those pesticides which are plant protection products.
Harmonised risk indicators were established in order to measure the progress achieved in meeting the objectives of Directive 2009/128/EC on the sustainable use of pesticides.
Harmonised risk indicator 1 (HRI1) was established in Commission Directive (EU) 2019/782, amending Directive 2009/128/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council. HRI1 is based on statistics on the quantity of active substances placed on the market in plant protection products under Regulation (EC) No 1107/2009, provided to Eurostat under Annex I of Regulation (EC) No 1185/2009 on statistics on pesticides. These data are categorised into four groups based on hazard and multiplied by weightings established in Commission Directive (EU) 2019/782.
EU Member States and the EU Commission calculate and publish harmonised risk indicators for each calendar year in accordance with Directive 2009/128/EC.
Data for all years are subject to revision. In this release there were minor revisions to the data on active substances for 2022 and there were minor revisions to Harmonised Risk Indicator 1 for a number of years between 2011 and 2021. In all cases the size of revisions was small and less than 2% of the previously published figure.
This release will be published on an annual basis.
Learn about our data and confidentiality safeguards, and the steps we take to produce statistics that can be trusted by all.