Burning of waste generated by agricultural practices now prohibited

Press Release

31 January 2022

Longford County Council is reminding farmers and landowners that as of 1 January 2022, it is prohibited to burn agricultural waste.

It follows the ending of an exemption that was put in place up until New Year’s Day by the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications (DECC) and the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM).

The exemption allowed farmers to burn waste generated by agricultural practices, for example, trees or bushes accumulated from land clearance, but only as a last resort. The exemption had been extended from February 2021 by the DECC up until the beginning of 2022.

Longford County Council Environmental Awareness Officer Gary Brady said, “We are asking for farmers to be patient and await further instruction from the Department.” He continued, “The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine and the Air Quality Unit in the Department of Environment, Climate and Communications are working together to find a solution that will be acceptable to farmers.”

Farmers with specific concerns in the meantime are recommended to contact the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine for advice.