By Pippa Hackett, an organic farmer based near Geashill in Co. Offaly, and the Green Party Spokesperson on Agriculture
It will be interesting to see how many farmers amended their Basic Payment Scheme (BPS) applications in relation to lands that were subject to illegal burning. The window for BPS amendments was open for the 10 days to June 9.
How the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine deals with any non-compliance on this issue will be interesting too.
Thankfully, the rain finally came and extinguished the wildfires that had been ravaging our countryside for weeks and weeks this spring. In the clear air, the utter devastation was in sharp focus and generated much media attention.
It was disappointing that there was little condemnation of these catastrophic events from farmer representative organisations; most of which washed their members’ hands of any accountability in relation to these fires.
Instead, in predictable fashion, there was plenty of criticism from these organisations on any possible penalties being imposed on those with illegally burnt land.
Laws of our land
Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Michael Creed, has admitted that many of these blazes have been caused by farmers illegally starting fires on their land.
No one is discounting controlled burning as a part of land management, but there is a six-month window available for this. It is somewhat hard to reconcile that two and a half months after the deadline of March 1, some farmers see no issue whatsoever with starting these fires.
What does that say about respecting the laws of our land?
It has been stated that those found guilty of starting such fires will be subject to prosecution. However, with just 11 prosecutions taken under Section 40 of the Wildlife Act – which prohibits illegal fires in the closed season – in the past decade, and nine of these resulting in an average fine of €200, the chances of any of this year’s criminals being brought to justice are slim, to say the least – and these lawbreakers know it.
Empty threats?
The more recent threat from the department to reduce BPS payments on illegally burnt land, however unfair this may seem for innocent farmers, might actually be the way to prevent this from happening in the future.
These illegal burners may not care about the laws of our country, but if their neighbour’s land gets burnt unintentionally, and their neighbour gets penalised as a result, then perhaps they might think twice about torching their land outside the legal time-frame in future years.
Organic farmers are faced with similar penalties if their lands are affected, for example, with spray-drift from a neighbouring farm, so the precedent has already been set.
The much-maligned Heritage Bill from Minister Heather Humphreys’ department, which has now moved from the Seanad into the Dail, will make matters worse if an extension is granted to the burning season. Environmentally-conscious TDs are fighting tooth and nail to prevent its enactment.
Utter devastation caused by reckless behaviour
Those individuals responsible for these illegal acts should be ashamed to call themselves farmers. These massive fires have obliterated some incredibly beautiful landscapes. They destroy thousands of hectares of valuable forestry, flora and fauna, and are devastating to people’s homes and livelihoods, and even the air that they breathe.
Our country’s green image is tarnished, both physically and philosophically, and tourism is likely to be affected in many of these remote rural areas – some of which rely heavily on holiday-makers for revenue.
The risks to the emergency services personnel deployed to deal with these fires cannot be underestimated; in addition to the fact that they are removed from their other duties.
Regrettably, as is the case in many situations, one bad apple can spoil the whole barrel, and the actions of a few give the rest of us a bad name. Positive public perception of Irish agriculture and farmers is crucial, especially in these uncertain times with Brexit and reforms to the Common Agrilcultural Policy (CAP) just around the corner.
Unfortunately, one thing is for certain: We will all end up paying, one way or another, for the criminal acts of an inconsiderate few.