For farmers in Ireland
Professional pesticide users in Ireland: the training certificate and the register
6/11/2026
In Ireland, anyone who uses plant protection products in a professional capacity is a professional user under the European Communities (Sustainable Use of Pesticides) Regulations 2012. That covers most farmers who spray their own land, whatever the size of the sprayer.
What the law asks
Regulation 5 applies since 26 November 2015. A professional user must:
- hold a certificate confirming training to the standard set by the Minister, on the subjects listed in Annex I of the EU directive;
- comply with any additional training the Minister requires.
When supervision is enough
The Minister may exempt a person who works under the direct supervision of a registered professional user or an advisor. The regulations also allow an exemption for users who farm only grassland and stay under a quantity or area set by the Minister. If you rely on either, check the current conditions with the Department before the season.
The register
The regulations provide for a register of professional users kept by the Minister. A person can be removed from it if they no longer meet the training conditions, or after an offence of pesticide misuse or water pollution.
On the farm
If a son, an employee or a contractor does the spraying, it is that person who needs the training. Write down in your spray records who applied each treatment, so it is clear whose certificate to check at an inspection.
The European basis is Directive 2009/128/EC, which asks every Member State to run training and certification for professional users. Ireland applies it through S.I. No. 155 of 2012.
Read next
Official sources
- European Communities (Sustainable Use of Pesticides) Regulations 2012 (S.I. No. 155 of 2012)
- Directive 2009/128/EC
Checked on 6/11/2026
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