Common sense solution on turf claims Laois Offaly Government TD

A reasonable common sense solution has been found on the turf controversary, according to Laois Offaly TD Charlie Flanagan has said.

The Fine Gael TD was responding to the Government agreeing the draft regulations on solid fuels in Ireland which restrict supply.

“The Government has found a common sense solution on the issue of turf. I am pleased 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 counties Laois and Offaly.

“I’m glad we could come to this agreement with our Government partners. We’re confident this solution will protect and extend the current smoky coal ban, while allowing for traditional practices to continue.

“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 & all ‘customary rights’ to cut, burn, share and sell turf, as long as it’s 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," he said.

Dep Flanagan said the Government has also put a range of policies and measures in place to support households that are at risk of energy poverty.

He said these measures would 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.

He added that 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.