Councillors call for reversal of burning ban

Exemption came to an end on January 1

Councillors are to write to the Minister for the Environment calling for a reversal of rules that bans the burning of waste from farms.

An exemption was previously in place to allow for the burning of “waste generated by agricultural practices”, including branches or trees cut from hedgerows or through land clearance.

The burning of waste was only allowed as a last resort.

The exemption came to an end on January 1 of this year after being extended from its original end date in February 2021.

Fine Gael Councillor TP O’Reilly raised the issue at the March meeting of Cavan County Council, urging members to back his call for the Department to reinstate the exemption.

The motion won the support of party colleague Cllr Winston Bennett who said the ban means farmers cannot burn bushes on their land.

“There is more carbon from a rocket out in Ukraine than there is from burning bushes.”

Cllr Sean Smith (FF) also backed the proposal.

“We have to keep hedges in order. It’s been going on for generations,” he said. “It’s not interfering with nature at all.”

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