Minister denies thousands of turf cutters will be banned from bogs

A CLAIM that thousands of turf cutters will be prevented from cutting their own domestic supply of fuel on raised bogs designated under the European Union habitats directive was rejected by Agriculture Minister Brendan Smith in a Dáil debate.

Replying on behalf of Environment Minister John Gormley, he said turf cutting is scheduled to end during 2009 in 32 raised bogs, which would involve a relatively small proportion of turf cutters and not, he was advised, several thousand.

“Outside these 32 bogs, in other words, in the vast majority of areas, cutting may continue as normal.