IFA Connacht vice president and SAC project team chairman Padraic Divilly has called on the Minister for the Environment John Gormley to allow turf-cutting on designated raised bogs in advance of his submission of the interdepartmental report which is due shortly to be presented to the Cabinet.
Mr Divilly said there is widespread opposition in rural Ireland to Minister Gormley’s proposals and turf-cutting restrictions are just another attack on rural activities, which the Minister is vigourously pursuing. His proposal to ban turf-cutting on 32 raised bogs will affect up to 6,000 landowners who depend on turf as a cheap and clean fuel.
“Turf cutting for domestic purposes must be allowed as there is no damage done to bogs,” Mr Divilly said. “In the case of a commercial operation a compensation or relocation scheme must be put in place. The bogs the Minister is imposing restrictions on have been preserved through generations by the good management of local people.
“The Minister must offer a meaningful and practical solution which involves recognising the rights of individuals to cut turf for their own use,” he added. “Turf cutting has a huge social impact in rural Ireland and any interference with it will be fiercely resisted.”
The IFA has recently met with Minister Gormley and the organisation said it is not acceptable that he is ignoring the wishes of the majority of people who are opposed to his proposal to restrict turf cutting.
