Turf ban paused 'pending review', Fine Gael meeting told

Move to ban sale of turf by Environment Minister Eamon Ryan had caused uproar among some members of Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil

Tánaiste Leo Varadkar has told a meeting of the Fine Gael parliamentary party that banning the sale or distribution of turf will now be paused pending a proper examination of the issue. Picture: Gareth Chaney/ Collins

A ban on the sale of turf has now been paused pending a review, Tánaiste Leo Varadkar has told a meeting of his party.

It comes after Environment Minister Eamon Ryan said the sale of turf would be prohibited from September when new solid fuel regulations come into force, a move which had caused uproar among some members of both Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael.

However, Mr Varadkar has told a meeting of the Fine Gael parliamentary party that banning the sale or distribution of turf will now be paused pending a proper examination of the issue. Mr Varadkar did not give any timelines around how long this examination may take.

A number of party members, including senators Sean Kyne, Aisling Dolan and Tim Lombard along with TDs Brendan Griffin and Martin Heydon welcomed the intervention.

Mr Griffin had asked the Green Party leader if people would still be able to cut and sell turf after September and Mr Ryan confirmed that a regulatory provision would be made to prohibit the placing on the market, sale or distribution of sod peat.

In response to the parliamentary question, Mr Ryan stressed the new regulations were "required", adding that 1,300 people die prematurely in Ireland due to air pollution from solid fuel burning.

“Turf cutting by citizens for use in their own homes is a traditional activity across many peatlands, and while measures are required to reduce the emissions associated with burning peat, these traditions will be respected.

Therefore, to accommodate those with rights to harvest sod peat, no ban on its cutting or burning will be introduced, but a regulatory provision will be made to prohibit the placing on the market, sale or distribution of sod peat.

“As such, persons who have turbary rights will continue to be permitted to extract peat to heat their own dwelling, but will not be permitted to place it on the market for sale or distribution to others," Mr Ryan told the Kerry TD.

Fianna Fáil's Barry Cowen had also raised concerns regarding proposals for an outright "cliff-edge" ban on the commercial sale of turf.

The Offaly TD had already said that “some commercial turf-cutters have annual customers in localities where many homeowners don’t have their own plot and rely on these suppliers. It is those families and those providers who are impacted by a commercial sale ban.

“We have to try to see if some agreement can be reached for the phasing-out of commercial sales in such instances, rather than the proposal being suggested. It is important to make the point that proposals, while not finalised, do not impact on people continuing to cut turf for their own use.” 

Mr Cowen also added that “ultimately, we need a phasing-out by agreement, whereby a just transition is realised with realistic and cost-efficient alternatives being made available for those impacted by proposals”.