Files on turfcutters sent to the DPP

Illegal turfcutters could face prosecution in the coming months after gardaí forwarded a number of files to the DPP.

The Department of Arts, Heritage, and the Gaeltacht has been gathering evidence on the ground and through aerial surveillance of alleged illegal activity on bog lands during the turfcutting season.

A spokeswoman for the department said: “We have been examining all instances or suspected incidences of damage to special areas of conservation, including providing all possible assistance to An Garda Siochána in relation to this matter.”

A Garda spokeswoman confirmed a file had been forwarded to the DPP.

Earlier in the year, 41 landowners and contractors, mostly from Galway and Roscommon, received correspondence advising them legal action could be taken against them.

Independent TD Luke Flanagan, a spokesman for the Turfcutters and Contractors’ Association, said: “We are willing to go as far as we need to go to vindicate our rights and we will be testing the legality of any prosecutions. We have heard rumours of upcoming court cases but haven’t been told of any specific dates yet.”

The Environmental Protection Agency is investigating the alleged breaches under environmental liability regulations, which allow for remediation costs to be recovered for damage to the environment.

Turfcutting is banned on 53 raised bogs under EU conservation regulations announced in 2010. The Government may face penalties if turfcutters fail to abide by the rules.

Turfcutters who stop cutting on affected bogs are entitled to a concession worth €23,000, spread over 15 years. Turfcutting season starts again in four months’ time, usually coinciding with St Patrick’s Day.