Laois farmers to again be allowed burn bushes after Department u-turn
Farmers in Laois and around Ireland are again to be permitted to burn piles of green waste, after the Department of the Environment relented to again give an exemption to the otherwise illegal act.
A spokesperson for the Department confirmed the news to the Leinster Express, saying "Regulations to extend the exemption until 1st January 2023 will be published in the coming days".
Laois councillor had demanded the law be again exempted for farmers to clear their lands this spring.
Cllr Willie Aird said that ending the permit was "political suicide" by Agriculture Minister Charlie McConalogue, while Laois County Council confirmed that if Laois farmers all brought their trimmed green waste to Kyletalesha for composting that the facility would be "completely overwhelmed". Read below.
The spokesperson outlined why outdoor burning is generally against the law.
“Under the Waste Management (Prohibition of Waste Disposal by Burning) Regulations 2009, the burning of household, garden, commercial or industrial waste is not permitted.”
“Previously, an exemption under the legislation had been provided for the burning of green waste generated by agricultural purposes. The burning of green waste is a matter of concern and leads to localised air pollution. More broadly, health problems associated with air pollution are widely known and acknowledged.”
The exemption has been repeatedly given for agricultural use.
“The sunset clause in the Regulations, whereby the granting of exemptions would come to a definite end at a specified time, has been extended on four different occasions in the past. It was not envisaged that the exemption would continue indefinitely. The most recent exemption, under the legislation, expired on the 1st January, 2022.”
However alternatives are to be discussed, between the departments of Minister for the Environment Eamonn Ryan, and Minister for Agriculture Charlie McConalogue.
“Discussions between officials from the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications and the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine will commence – to examine alternative options to the practice of burning of this waste.”