Protecting the rights of domestic turf cutters

Westmeath"s County Councillors are to raise their concerns over the ban on turf cutting - which is to affect huge numbers of people around the county - right to the desk of John Gormley, Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government.In addition, the Council has agreed to circulate a letter seeking the support of other local authorities to fight on behalf of domestic turf cutters.Athlone Councillor Frankie Keena at Monday"s meeting of the County Council raised the subject for discussion, and said that the damage caused to bogs by individual domestic cutters was 'minimal'.'I strongly believe it is wrong to link the blame for the desecration of our flora and fauna to the rural people of Ireland who have been cutting turf for generations,' he said.Cllr. Keena told the meeting that it is because of the EU Habitats Directive that bog owners all across Ireland have been told they"re facing a ban on cutting turf for domestic use.He said that while the EU is claiming that the natural habitat for flora and fauna is being destroyed by a process that has existed in rural Ireland for generations, and that he understood it was important to protect the environment and preserve areas that were under threat of erosion, he believes that the most damage to Special Areas of Conservation, or SACs, is caused by industrial and commercial operations where the peat is being extracted from the high bank, leaving only a 'barren landscape of turf mole'.'For instance, in my own locality, private commercial operators have completely destroyed bogs that were full with biodiversity, flora and fauna. The ironic part of this is that millions of tones of this peat is exported to other EU countries,' said Cllr. Keena.'In the case of domestic turf cutters,' he went on to say, 'the damage done to our bogs is minimal because the low banks after cutting are alive biodiversity. Those people who cut turf for their own use take great care of their bogs by keeping drains cleared, roads in good order and continue to tackle the ongoing problem of illegal dumping of rubbish by carrying out regular clean-ups.'Cllr. Joe Flanagan indicated he shared Cllr. Keena"s concerns. He pointed out that it is expected that oil prices may rise to as much as $175 US dollars by the end of this year, and that this cost will impact hugely on midland families.Cllr. Frank McDermott was also against the ban, and said that 10 per cent of those who turned out against Lisbon, did so for that reason alone.Members from all parties were united in their support for the motion, with a number suggesting the matter should be brought up with the Taoiseach, Brian Cowen, himself, who would, they pointed out, 'know better than most' the plight of turfcutters, coming, as he does, from the heart of Co. Offaly.Cllr. Keena went on to talk about the 'bully boy attitude' being employed by the National Parks and Wildlife section to those people who own their banks or have turbary rights. He said he is aware that in his native Athlone, Collite was instructed by the National Parks and Wildlife Section to block drains in an effort to stop turf cutting, even though a ten year derogation is still in place.He believes however, that there is still time for manoeuvre with the EU Directive and that the time to act on it is now, and said that the MEP Liam Aylward, confirmed to him that although the Directive is in place, it is a matter for the Irish Authorities to make decisions in accordance with the Directive on particular peat extractions proposals and activities.Also, he continued, the EU Commission has admitted that large-scale commercial peat extraction, together with associated drainage works, can cause serious disruption to the hydrological and ecological function of bogs, but there is no mention of domestic turf cutters.