Hedge and burning flexibility to help with farmland management

Dependence on rural dwellers and the farming community to help manage and maintain the countryside has been acknowledged by Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht Heather Humphreys.

She has moved to introduce a limited amount of flexibility to help with land management, which is of particular concern to farmers.

Farmers say there has been land abandonment in many hill areas because they cannot burning overgrown vegetation before September 1, or in March.