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.”