Westmeath Minister announces extension of burning of agricultural waste

Minister Peter Burke has announced the extension of temporary derogation and burning of agricultural waste for farmers.

Minister Burke said: "Following contact from concerned farmers, I am delighted that the burning of agricultural waste has been again permitted to take place, backdated from 1st January 2023 to 1 March 2023 and again from 1st September to 30 Nov 2023.

"Coming from a farming background and representing a large rural constituency my office received a number of queries on this matter. I understand that alternative solutions are difficult to access and the weather has not helped, but this move will allow farmers to dispose of green waste while alternative arrangements are sought next year," concluded Minister Burke.

Regulations were signed recently to provide for an extension to the exemption which allows for the onsite burning of agricultural green waste in certain limited circumstances. The regulations were drafted by the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications following consultation with the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine.

Under the 2009 Regulations, the burning of household, garden, commercial or industrial waste is not permitted. An exemption under the legislation, which has allowed farmers to dispose of waste generated by agricultural practices by burning as a last resort following strict application of the waste hierarchy, has been extended on several occasions.

The decision to extend this exemption for one final time arose from the recommendations made in a recent study, commissioned by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, to examine alternative measures to the burning of agricultural green waste.