Priest warns turf ban will hit rural areas hard in winter

A CATHOLIC priest has warned that Government regulations on turf will leave farmers who rely on the fuel for home heating and extra income facing a tough winter.

Fr Joe Tynan is now based in Kilteely, Co. Limerick, but previously served in the Littleton area of Co. Tipperary, where a former briquette factory has now been replaced by a recycling plant.

He called on the Government to help rural dwellers who are now under major financial pressure as energy costs soar, and who will be unable to buy or sell turf due to the upcoming ban.

Fr Tynan said: ‘With turf cutting, we all understand that everyone has to do their bit for the environment, you can’t argue with that, but the point I am making is that often decisions are made without thinking about the alternatives or the knock-on effect.

‘From a rural point of view, it is one thing not harvesting turf but the knock-on effect is being felt by small farmers who would have budgeted for a little extra income from selling turf each year.

‘And this is of course while the energy crisis has happened but people are being prevented from using a cheaper source of fuel.

‘No one could have foreseen the price hike in energy costs but many people are under fierce financial pressure for their electricity and heating oil – these decisions are being taken about turf without any appreciation of the effect of this on rural people.’

Fr Tynan said more should be done by the Government to help people who had been left out of pocket by the ban on sales, or who could not afford more expensive methods of heating their homes.

He added: ‘The income of small farmers is made up of several different but important little pieces of a jigsaw and turf sales is one of the pieces – if you take a piece away it becomes fierce tough.’

In July the Cabinet signed off on proposals to ban the sale of turf on forecourts, shops and online, from October 31.

But those with turbary rights – the right to cut and carry turf from specific boglands – will still be able to sell or gift it to family and friends.

The ban, which was included in the Programme for Government, was aimed at reducing the use of smoky solid fuels to tackle air pollution and associated health problems.

But it caused a huge rift in the Coalition, particularly among rural backbenchers in Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil.

At one stage, Fine Gael told Green Party leader Eamon Ryan the issue was ‘jeopardising the stability of the Government’.

However, after a deal was struck to get Cabinet approval, Mr Ryan insisted that nothing had changed from the original proposal.

He said: ‘A year ago, six months ago, three months ago, I was outlining these regulations in the way they’ve now been delivered.’

‘Small farmers feel the knock-on effect’