New law later this year to ban sale and distribution of turf

It will be illegal to sell or distribute turf from September next, the Government has confirmed.

The Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications Eamon Ryan confirmed the news in the Dail last week.

In a written answer to Fine Gael Deputy Brendan Griffin, Minister Ryan confirmed that new regulations on solid fuels due to take effect from September 1 will prohibit the sale or distribution of peat to others.

However, he said people who have turbary (turf cutting) rights would continue to be allowed to extract peat to heat their own dwelling.

The Minister said this approach would allow the traditional turf cutting activity of those with turbary rights continue for domestic purposes while reducing the use of peat in urban areas.

Minister Ryan said the new regulations are required as each year some 1,300 people die prematurely in Ireland due to air pollution from solid fuel burning.

He said that research by the Environmental Protection Agency also demonstrates that the contribution of peat to air pollution levels is significant.

“Turf cutting by citizens for use in their own homes is a traditional activity across many peatlands, and while measures are required to reduce the emissions associated with burning peat, these traditions will be respected,' he acknowledged.

He said there would be no ban on the cutting or burning of peat but a ban on putting on the market for sale or distribution would be introduced.

Minister Ryan stressed that those with turf cutting rights would only be allowed to extract peat for their own use.

Independent TD for Laois Offaly Carol Nolan has said there is a sense of disbelief and anger within rural communities following confirmation that the sale and marketing of turf is to be prohibited.

“Last April I explicitly warned that Government was engaged in a process of creeping criminalisation with respect to turf cutting and how rural communities in particular choose to utilise this natural resource. We now see that that creeping criminalisation has moved up to full gallop,” Deputy Nolan said.

“Minister Ryan at the very least has accepted that those with turbary rights will be able to continue to cut and burn sod peat for their own domestic purposes.  The difficulty here however is that people have absolutely zero faith that this position will be maintained into the future. There is a fundamental lack of lack of trust in anything Minister Ryan has to say when it comes to protecting traditional turf cutting practices.”

“Are we really at the stage where a rural family with a sign outside their property advertising the sale of a few bags of turf are to be treated as eco-criminals? This is grossly disproportionate and unjust, and it needs to be resisted immediately from every rural and indeed every urban TD within the Government,” concluded Deputy Nolan.