The Irish Medicines Board (IMB) has confirmed that cough and cold medicines for children under-two are not on open sale in Ireland.
This follows the removal of six such remedies from pharmacy shelves in Britain over fears of possible accidental overdose.
The UK government's medicines regulator said it had ordered the action after increasing reports of adverse reactions by small children to drugs in the preparations. There have been five deaths since 1981.
A spokeswoman for the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency said the products were not dangerous and would return to open sale once manufacturers had altered packaging making clear they were not suitable for children under two.
Dr Joan Gilvarry of the IMB said children with cough or cold symptoms can be treated with paracetamol or ibuprofen in conjunction with cough syrups such as glycerol, honey or lemon rather than those containing active ingredients.
"Our advice for parents or child minders is to seek the advice of a pharmacist or doctor before giving any medication to a child under two years of age," she said.
The six products that are being removed in the UK are:
- Asda Children's Chesty Cough Syrup
- Boots Chesty Cough Syrup 1 Year Plus
- Boots Sore Throat and Cough Linctus 1 Year Plus
- Buttercup Infant Cough Syrup
- CalCough Chesty
- Bell's Children's Chesty Cough
The medicines can still be sold under advice by pharmacists to parents for older children.