The transportation of haulage of hay and straw will be exempt from height restrictions after Minister for Transport Leo Varadkar accepted a proposal brought forward by Kildare South TD Martin Heydon.

“I have considered the various issues involved, consulted with my colleague Minister Coveney, with Irish Rail and farming representative bodies and arising from this have asked my officials to draft regulations to allow for a very narrow exemption for the haulage of agricultural fodder, i.e. straw and hay only, from the height limits brought in by the 2008 regulations,” Minister Varadkar said in the Dáil on Tuesday.

Farmers and hauliers said without the derogation, the transportation of one third less bales per load and could add as much as €400 to the cost of each load.

Minister Varadkar previously had said it is more than five years since the 5m limit was reduced to 4.65m, and the industry has had adequate time to accommodate themselves to the new limit.