Government restrictions on the right to cut turf must be removed so that people have the freedom to cut their own turf, for their own use, on their own land, except in very special circumstances.
This is the view of Declan Ganley, Libertas North West candidate for the EU Elections. He says the National Parks and Wildlife Service owns huge swathes of Irish bogs. The EU Habitats Directive only requires the Government to designate five per cent of land special or reserved but the Government has designated 14.9 per cent of land as Special Areas of Conservation, etc.
“Cutting turf is an important part of our culture, economy, and way of life,” he said. “If elected, I will work for a common sense approach to EU directives. The best guardians of the land are the landowners, and I will defend their right.”
