A Cork chemical company which wrongly labelled a pesticide was convicted at Cork District Court yesterday of 10 breaches of European regulations on product classification, labelling and packaging.
Classic-Chem (Irl) Ltd, of Commercial Centre, Mallow Road, Cork, admitted the offences in June this year, when consignments of Algacide were found on the shelves of three Co Waterford outlets by inspectors from the Department of Agriculture's pesticide control service.
Ms Marie Baker, prosecuting, for the Department of Agriculture, said: "Algacide is a corrosive substance rather than merely an irritant product and many more safeguards need to be taken by people using it."
The product, used for cleaning moss from stone and cement, was found on the shelves of Maguire's Garden Centre, Woodstown, and the co-ops at Kilmeaden and Lissavard. It should have been labelled as a corrosive, rather than an irritant.
"There is a significant difference," said Ms Baker. More information should also have been given about how to deal with spillages, she said.
"The regulations, adopted by the Irish legislature in 1994, are there to protect both the users of a product and the environment." She said the EU "keeps a file of prosecutions made throughout the Community and these offences will be noted."
Mr Dermot Sheridan, from the pesticide control service, said he was satisfied the product was no longer on the shelves.
Ms Elaine Duane, for ClassicChem, said the company appreciated the seriousness of the offences and was taking all possible steps to regularise the situation.
Judge Uinsionn Mac Gruairc said he wanted to be sure that the fungicide was no longer going out with incorrect labelling and he adjourned the question of penalty to February 25th.