Defying EU, Leo rules out further turf-cutting curbs

TAOISEACH Leo Varadkar has ruled out placing further restrictions on turf-cutting in the face of legal action from the European Commission.

The Commission has referred Ireland to the EU Court of Justice after 13 years of warnings over an alleged failure to protect designated bogs from turf-cutting.

Mr Varadkar, whose Government came in for intense criticism two years ago over attempts to curb the sale and distribution of peat under clean air laws, insisted Ireland will fight the case in the courts.

In a strongly worded statement on Wednesday, the Commission said it was referring Ireland to the Court of Justice of the European Union for failing to apply the Habitats Directive to protect raised bog and blanket bog sites from turf cutting.

It said the directive required member states to designate their most precious natural habitats and to protect them from harmful activities.

‘These sites in Ireland continue to be degraded through drainage and turf-cutting activities, and insufficient action is being taken to restore the sites,’ it said.

However, speaking in Washington DC on his visit to meet US president Joe Biden, the Taoiseach hit back, saying Ireland would defend itself in the case.

He said: ‘My understanding... is that we are going to defend that case.

‘We believe that what we have done to date is adequate and complies with European law. So no plans for new restrictions and we are defending our position.’

But earlier yesterday, Agriculture Minister Charlie McConalogue insisted that Ireland had to take its responsibility in relation to the conservation of bogs ‘massively seriously’.

‘We’ve worked very closely with farmers over the last number of years and indeed in terms of our national policy of taking decisions, which is radically changing how we deal with our bogs,’ the Fianna Fáil TD told RTÉ’s Morning Ireland.

He continued: ‘As you know, over many years and decades, a lot of our electricity generation came directly from peat extraction, through Bord na Móna. And indeed, you know, the commercial sale of turf was a significant industry in Ireland as well. That is totally changed.

‘And not only do we no longer produce electricity through peat, there’s also no commercial peat extraction through Bord na Móna.

‘We’ve also seen a situation where the amount of private extraction of turf has massively reduced.’ He said that between 2022 and 2023, peat extraction from blanket bogs had been reduced by 40%.

He added: ‘Right now in Ireland, we have the largest projects anywhere in Europe under way in terms of bog restoration, with 50,000 hectares of bogs being restored, and work is commencing in 30 of our 53 raised bogs.

‘Work is continuing and ramping up all of the time.’

He was responding to comments from Independent TD Michael Fitzmaurice, who said Ireland ‘should not be told what to do by a foreign power’.

‘Worked very closely’