Independent TD Carol Nolan has written to the ministers for agriculture and transport to support a request from hauliers for an exemption to certain driver rules for those involved in grain haulage.
The Irish Farmers’ Association (IFA) and the Irish Road Haulage Association (IRHA) are seeking an exemption from rules relating to resting times for truck drivers.
Both associations believe that the temporary relaxation of these rules is necessary in order to ease pressure on harvested grain collection, arising from weather-related delays to the harvest.
In a letter addressed to IFA president Tim Cullinan, IRHA vice-president Ger Hyland said that the Department of Transport had refused an initial request for a derogation from driver and rest-time rules to allow for the collection of grain.
According to Hyland, the Department of Transport came to this decision on foot of recommendations from both the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, and the Road Safety Authority (RSA).
Nolan slammed this decision as an example of “petty bureaucracy”.
The Laois-Offaly TD said today (Thursday, August 24) that she has written to Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine Charlie McConalogue, and Minister for Transport Eamon Ryan, to support the request from the IFA and IRHA.
This request seeks a time-limited derogation on the number of hours that haulage drivers are allowed to operate without rest if they are involved in grain haulage.
Both organisations are seeking an exemption from rules that would allow drivers to drive an extra two hours per day, with respect to grain haulage activities.
“This decision to deny the derogation is representative of the kind of petty bureaucracy that is stifling Irish agriculture. It is unnecessary and needs to be reversed,” Nolan commented.
“Can no one in either department recognise that this has been an exceptionally difficult summer and that some reasonable form of assistance about the one thing we can control – namely the derogation rules – needs to be applied and delivered with common sense.
“I fully support IRHA president Ger Hyland and indeed the IFA in their efforts here,” Nolan said.
She added: “It is ridiculous at this point to prefer the maintenance of the ‘rules’ over the necessity of assisting farmers and hauliers.”