Rural dwellers burning briars and branches outdoors were being persecuted by neighbours with grudges and by "blow-ins" who supported excessive use of waste-management legislation, Kerry councillors heard.
However, Kerry County Council assured public representatives that it would not apply the letter of the law to the burning of cut vegetation in rural areas. Instead it would apply a commonsense approach.
The council has previously employed helicopters to monitor waste disposal.
Cllr Michael Gleeson, South Kerry Independent Alliance, said he accepted there should be "a total ban" on backyard burning of domestic refuse.
However, he said the council risked alienating rural dwellers by being excessive in enforcing the legislation with regard to land stewardship. There was an ancient tradition of burning cuttings and garden material, and of gardeners warming themselves with such fires.
At a county council meeting in Killarney, Mr Gleeson asked for clarification on the outdoor burning of "briars, branches and normal non-recyclable garden material such as potato stalks".
Independent Fianna Fáil councillor Danny Healy-Rae said: "This whole country has gone mad". Rural dwellers were "terrified" to crack a match in the open.
They were afraid of the helicopter above looking down on them, and afraid of a neighbour reporting them. They were also afraid to dig a hole in the yard in case it disturbed archaeology.
"They are afraid of a nosey-parker and a blow-in newly landed on a road after buying a site," said Mr Healy-Rae.
Chairman of the meeting Brendan Cronin said: "People are doing sugar-all-else since this legislation came in but reporting neighbours."
Council engineer Gerard O'Sullivan said the council's priority was tackling backyard burning of domestic waste.
Outdoor burning of branches and such was "not high" on its priority list. "When people ask we say strictly speaking it is illegal. But we are not going after people for it."
The meeting also heard that the Waste Management Acts may not cover instances where material such as branches is burned in a controlled manner for heat.
The environment department of the council yesterday confirmed it now received a significant number of calls about backyard and outdoor burning from both locals and non-locals. It said people had become more aware of the issue.