Impasse remains in turf cutting dispute

Date Published: 29-Feb-2012

The determination of families in South East Galway to cut their own turf in areas where relocation has been ruled out as an option was made clear to a High Court Judge at a special forum in Athlone on Tuesday.

Representatives of 622 turf cutters in Clonmoylan and Barroughter told Mr Justice John Quirke that they had ruled out alternative sites which had been suggested to them in the Slieve Aughty mountains.

Representatives of almost 300 families in Killimor also addressed Mr Justice Quirke, who is due to report back to the Cabinet next week after being appointed to chair the forum by An Taoiseach, Enda Kenny.

Turf-cutters from each affected bog were invited to present proposals at the Hodson Bay Hotel, although the forum may not now be concluded on schedule this week because of the death of Paddy Concannon (93), President of the Irish Turf Cutters and Contractors Association (ITCCA) at the weekend.

“We ruled out relocation and told him that we wanted to have our bogs ‘de-designated’,” said Dermot Moran of the Bogs Action Group. “We pointed out that people were not consulted when the survey was being done on the bogs.

“We explained that we had looked at the alternative on offer and that there was nothing there to cut anyway. People from other bogs throughout the country said the same thing, as it was an open forum.”

Following their 30 minute submission to the High Court Judge, the South East Galway delegation then met with a facilitator who sat in on a meeting between the Bogs Action Group, representatives of the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS), and Coillte.

With just six weeks to go to the turf-cutting season, Mr Moran said the delegation was heartened to hear Mr Justice Quirke say that they would not be “criminalised” for cutting their own turf this year.

The Bogs Action Group are hopeful that the designations in their area, under the EU Habitats Directive, can be overturned.

See full story in this week’s Connacht Tribune.