Farmers are not likely to be allowed to burn branches or other hedge cuttings on their farms after this year.
That's according to Longford Environmental Officer Gary Brady.
The derogation for burning small branches and hedge cuttings has been extended until the 1st of March this year due to some works under the ACRES farm scheme. Burning will also be allowed for a period this autumn, but the Environmental Officer says that after this year farmers will have to have these kind of materials shredded or mulched .
We also think there was a study done to see, because the new acres scheme has been introduced under this year, there’s gonna be a lot of new hedge laying or reconditioning of hedges. So it's gonna be a lot of green waste out there on farms and in the farming community. So they said that they would extend the derogation for burning of agricultural green waste agricultural waste, hedge coatings and stuff like that. And I'd say that that'll be the end of it. I'd say next year, there'll be absolutely no going back that if you want your hedges cut you will have to use the new mulcher, to coat them rather than just the burning them because you won't be allowed and you wont be getting a permit from local authority anyways
