The news on Tuesday that Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment Denis Naughten is committing €1m to help with the collection of waste tyres can only be seen as a good initiative.

Every farm used waste tyres to weigh down covers on silage pits. With the advent of baled silage, these tyres are often no longer wanted.

The powers that be want them removed. They estimate as many as 700,000 unwanted waste tyres are in the countryside, and have committed the money to clearing them up.

It’s all in advance of new legislation, which will be rolled out in two weeks, and seems likely to require old tyres to be left in tyre centres when being replaced.

Currently, there is no charge on used tyres from agricultural vehicles – thanks to a moratorium agreed by Minister Naughten last December. It’s to allow a proper charging system be agreed.

Initially, a set of old tractor tyres were to cost €100 to leave in the tyre centre, €30 for each back tyre and €20 for each front tyre. That does not compare favourably, the IFA would contend, with the €12 charge for a typical lorry tyre.

Charges on the way

Being realistic, some charge will be imposed at the end of the evaluation period.

In the meantime, we need to clear the backlog and farmers can only hope that this initiative will allow them return unwanted tyres at no charge.

There is a precedent in the collection of farm plastic.

When recovery and recycling of farm plastics became a requirement, there was initially a huge volume of plastic backed up on farms without the code required to return it for a smaller charge.

Money was committed, the backlog was cleared, and farmers are now well used to the system – and comfortable with how it works.

First we’ll all have to cut the nettles around the tyre heap.