Derogation granted to burn green waste on-farm
A derogation to allow farmers to burn green waste has been reinstated after it was allowed to expire on January 1, provoking a furious backlash.
A derogation to allow farmers to burn green waste has been reinstated after it was allowed to expire on January 1, provoking a furious backlash.
The burning of household, garden, commercial or industrial waste is not permitted under the Waste Management Regulations. An exemption under the legislation had been provided to farmers for the burning of certain waste from September 1 to February 28.
But the Environment, Climate and Communications Minister Eamon Ryan has warned that it may be the last exemption granted as a review remains ongoing in two Government departments due to concerns about air pollution.
The expiry of this year’s exemption led to questions in the Dail and Senate, calls being made to Minister Ryan to explain the move and the Irish Farmers Association seeking clarity.
Taoiseach Micheál Martin, who was also questioned about it during Leaders Question in the Dail, pledged to examine the issue in full. Senator Paul Daly earlier told the Upper House the matter was causing significant concern among the agricultural community.
Due to the nature of the dampness and sap in bushes, many farmers cut early bushes in the season, stockpile the cuttings, let them dry out and then burn them before the season expires on February 28.
“They do so under licence from the environmental section of their local council and in compliance with a condition under which they have to inform the local fire brigade. However, nobody was informed that this exemption was being allowed to expire,” he said.
Senator Garret Ahearn said the expiry of the exemption happened without consultation or any information whatsoever being provided to councils, public representatives, or farmers.
“If the Department and the Minister want the farming community to support his measures to reach our carbon targets and the role agriculture plays in that, doing something like this does not help.
“It creates division between the agricultural sector and the Minister. The least he could do is to inform us this might happen so that we could communicate with farmers when it is happening and why.
“There has to be some sort of understanding in respect of farmers. These are farmers who were seeking permission to carry out controlled burning.
“We know there are many people who carry out burning without looking for any exemption. These are farmers who are looking to do things right and correctly,” he said, Deputy Michael McNamara, who raised the issue during Leaders Questions in the Dail, said the bushes involved were cut during the winter season, piled up and usually burned in the spring when they dry out.
Minister Charlie McConalogue later informed the Joint Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine he had engaged with Minister Ryan on the challenges for the farming community on the issue and was glad to report that the Minister will provide a derogation for farmers.
“This is an important management tool, and I am grateful to the Minister for recognising the importance of providing a derogation and ensuring it is available for farmers, outside of the nesting season of course,” he said, stressing that farmers use the facility in a balanced way.
Minister Ryan, replying to subsequent Dail questions from Deputies Peter Fitzpatrick, Jackie Cahill and Matt Carthy, said previously an exemption under the legislation had been provided for the burning of green waste generated by agricultural purposes.
“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 January 1, 2022,” he said.
Minister Ryan said he would introduce regulations to extend the exemption until January 1, 2023, but he anticipated this will be the final extension.
Discussions between officials from the Departments of Environment, Climate and Communications and Agriculture, Food and the Marine will commence to examine alternative options to the practice of burning of this waste, he said.
Minister of State Ossian Smyth, replying to later questions from Deputies Verona Murphy and Michael Healy-Rae, said 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, he said.
