Farmers will be able to burn bushes and other green waste on their farms following discussions between Minister for Environment and Climate Eamon Ryan and Minister for Agriculture Charlie McConalogue.

Minister Ryan has agreed to sign the derogation for 2022, making it the fifth time the derogation has been rolled over. The last derogation expired on 1 January this year.

He has asked the agriculture sector to develop long-term alternatives to the practise.

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Minister McConalogue made the announcement at the Oireachtas committee on agriculture on Wednesday evening. He said he had been engaging with Minister Ryan on the issue over the last number of days.

It’s an important facility for farmers

“Minister Ryan will be providing the derogation for farmers to burn that scrub,” the minister said, adding that it was an important management tool for farmers.

“It’s an important facility for farmers, which use in a balanced way,” he said. The minister’s intervention was welcomed by Independent TD and contractor Michael Fitzmaurice.

Furious

On Tuesday, the Irish Farmers Journal revealed that the derogation had not been signed for 2022, resulting in a furious reaction from the Irish Cattle and Sheep Association (ICSA) and farmers.

There had been no forewarning that the derogation had not been granted

Farmers need a permit to burn on their land anytime during the year and need to inform the fire service.

There had been no forewarning that the derogation had not been granted. The ICSA had said the Government was completely out of touch with the realities of managing hedges and trees on farms.

‘Common sense’

The chair of the joint Oireachtas committee on agriculture Jackie Cahill TD welcomed the decision that the derogation would be granted to farmers.

According to Deputy Cahill, the shredding of green wastes from hedge-cutting on every farm would not have been practical.

“It came with some shock and disappointment to the farming community to learn that the exemption had not been granted this year by the Department of Environment to allow farmers to burn green waste on their farms,” Cahill said.

“Common sense has prevailed and the derogation to burn green waste and scrub has now been granted by Minister Eamon Ryan, which will allow for these practices on farms up until the end of February,” he stated.