It’s reckless not to curb the sale and distribution of turf – Ryan

EAMON Ryan has said it would be ‘reckless’ not to go ahead with curbs on the sale and distribution of turf.

During a fractious Dáil exchange yesterday, the Climate Minister vowed there will not be an ‘outright ban’ on the sale of turf.

The row came a day after the Government defeated a Sinn Féin motion calling for the ban, due to take effect from September 1, to be scrapped.

This was despite a number of Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael backbenchers expressing fury at the proposal over recent weeks. Members of both parties warned Mr Ryan earlier this week that this issue could destabilise the Coalition. Sinn Féin’s Pearse Doherty lambasted Minister Ryan, calling any such ban ‘daft’.

Deputy Doherty said that ‘despite the huffing and puffing’ from Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil politicians over the last number of weeks on turf, they ‘rowed in behind the minister and his party’ to vote against Sinn Féin’s motions.

‘It is political cowardice of the highest order,’ he added.

But Minister Ryan hit back at Mr Doherty, stating that 1,300 deaths a year across the country are caused by air pollution.

During the testy debate, the Green Party leader stated that it would be ‘reckless’ not to go ahead with the regulations. ‘We recognise that it is not an outright ban because there are instances and a tradition in our country where people have had access to their own bog, cutting turf and sharing with neighbours,’ Minister Ryan added.

‘Of course we will provide for that. But we will start saving those 1,300 lives. We will not walk away as two previous Governments have done.

‘We will do what needs to be done while maintaining and helping our people through fuel poverty but not ignoring the health issue or the loss of life. That would be reckless and a disregard of our duty.’

Referencing the minister’s remarks about 1,300 excess deaths, Mr Doherty responded by saying there were 2,800 deaths every year due to fuel poverty in Ireland.

Mr Ryan disputed that figure, claiming it was 25 years old, an assertion Mr Doherty rejected.

The Irish Daily Mail contacted Sinn Féin inquiring where this figure had come from.

Earlier, Agriculture Minister Charlie McConalogue emphasised that there needs to be a ‘balance’ between tradition and respecting people’s rights to cut turf, and recognising the environmental impact it has.

He said that the use of turf is already declining and will phase itself out over time.

Mr McConalogue told RTÉ’s Today With Claire Byrne: ‘There is a real challenge there in relation to moving away from fossil fuels.

‘We do have a real issue in relation to air quality and the impact that has on health.’

However, he said turf is ‘an important fuel still for many families’.

‘Political cowardice’