Agricultural and equestrian fencing which has been treated with creosote can no longer be placed on the market as an EU-wide ban is now in place.
The ban on the sale of fencing treated with creosote, except for railway sleepers and telecommunication poles, has come into effect on May 1, 2023.
However, timber already treated with creosote and sold to farmers before April 30, 2023 can be used after that date, Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Charlie McConalogue said.
Creosote is a wood preservative first approved as a biocide in 2011. It is used to treat electricity poles, railway sleepers, agricultural and equestrian fencing and poles used in vineyards.
Reviewing the approval and uses of creosote as a wood preservative, the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) deemed that there is a risk of cancer associated with creosote use.
Creosote ban
A national derogation to allow for placing on the Irish market of creosote-treated agricultural and equine fencing beyond the deadline is not possible under the regulatory framework, the minister said.
Details on the alternative wood preservative products authorised for use in Ireland can be found on the website of the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM).
Stores, merchants and importers had to sell all stocks of creosote-containing products to professional end-users or else returned to their supplier by December 31, 2022.
February 28, 2023 was the final date for professional users to use creosote products for treatment of agricultural and equine fencing before the ban came into force this week.