Turf-cutting gets the go-ahead for Summer season

TURF-CUTTING on Irish bogs has been given the go-ahead over the coming weeks after the National Parks and Wildlife Service decided that it was an agricultural activity to be provided by essential service providers.

The deal was brokered after negotiations involving Roscommon-Galway TD, Michael Fitzmaurice; the Association of Farm and Forestry Contractors (FCI) and the Turf-cutters and Contractors Association (TCCA) leading to a submission being presented to the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS).

According to Deputy Fitzmaurice, the ‘detailed submission’ outlined how the cutting of domestic turf could proceed in a safe and effective manner without any risk to public health.

The former turf-cutter said that first and foremost, he wanted to thank the NPWS for taking responsibility in liaising with the turf-cutting groups to resolve an issue where there had been some ambiguity of late.

“The detailed submission outlined how the cutting of domestic turf could proceed in a safe and effective manner, without any risk to public health.

“Moving forward, we would ask that all contractors adhere to the criteria that has been agreed upon. Everyone in the country needs to put their shoulder to the wheel to make sure that the crisis we are in at present is brought to an end as soon as possible,” said Deputy Fitzmaurice.

He added that moving forward, the most important thing now would be for all contractors to adhere to the criteria that had been agreed to. “Given that the cutting of turf is a seasonal activity, a delay now would have implications further down the line and people may be left without a source of fuel for next Winter,” he said.

The NPWS in a statement issued over recent days said that after consulting with the Dept. of the Taoiseach, they [NPWS] had considered that domestic turf-cutting in ‘non-designated bogs, was an agricultural activity to be provided by essential service providers.

For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.

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