A reasonable solution has been found on the contentious issue of turf cutting, a local Fine Gael Councillor has said.
Cllr Andrew Reddington said he is relieved the Government has found such a solution on the issue of turf and he is pleased that the revised regulations will protect traditional turf cutting practices and allow those who have traditionally cut, shared and sold turf to continue to do so.
“This is so important to many communities in County Galway, I do recognise the effect of poor air quality on people’s health and wellbeing and I welcome the role these regulations will play in helping to improve air quality and public health,” he said.
“However, we must make sure we are not stopping customs that date back centuries, when people do not have other alternatives.
“The revised regulations allow those with turbary rights and all ‘customary rights’ to cut, burn, share and sell turf, as long as it is not sold in a retail setting, public place, through media or online. There is no ban on burning turf by anyone in the country. The previously mooted restriction on use only in towns or villages of population of 500 has also been removed.
“You can sell to your neighbours, friends, family or whatever you did in the past. You just cannot sell bags in the forecourts and in fairness this wasnyt a huge practice in my time anyway, I am keen that the older generation know this if you brought a trailer of turf, last year you can still buy one.
He said that he is glad they could come to this agreement with Government partners.
“We’re confident this solution will protect and extend the current smoky coal ban, while allowing for traditional practices to continue. I spoke at length in the last week to our MEP Maria Walsh who recognized the importance of the situation to rural ireland and assured me she has been very vocal about this coming from a rural area.
“The Government has also put a range of policies and measures in place to support households that are at risk of energy poverty. These measures supplement lower income households through the Fuel Allowance, the Household Benefits Package and other payments, as well as providing free energy efficiency upgrades through the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland schemes and the Social Housing retrofitting programme.
“This year, 58% (€203 million ) of the total Government retrofit budget of €352 million will be spent on dedicated energy poverty retrofit supports and local authority retrofits”, Cllr Reddington concluded.
