Sinn Fein chief Mary Lou McDonald accuses government of ‘punishing’ people with turf ban

Sinn Fein leader Mary Lou McDonald has accused the Government of punishing people who burn turf to heat their homes.

She said the Coalition has done nothing to reduce the cost of home heating oil.

Green Party leader Eamon Ryan was due to meet backbench TDs yesterday as Fianna Fail and Fine Gael rural deputies are opposed to the proposed ban on the commercial sale of turf.

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And ministers including Norma Foley and Heather Humphreys raised the matter at Cabinet, sources have said.

It’s understood Ms Foley expressed that the Government wasn’t communicating effectively on the matter. Speaking in the Dail, Ms McDonald said to Taoiseach Micheal Martin: “Your proposal is unfair and unworkable and should not go ahead.

“The timing of the proposed ban couldn’t be worse, as people are hammered by the cost of living crisis which has seen energy bills go through the roof and which has put enormous pressure on people’s pockets.

“For many families in rural Ireland turf is that one affordable way of heating their homes, their only credible alternative is home heating oil, the price of which as you know has doubled in the past year.”

In response, Mr Martin listed a number of measures the Government has introduced including the energy credit. He said it’s important to protect the rights of people in the minority and traditional practices of turf sharing.

Mr Martin added there’ll be no restrictions on people who own their own bog and said there is no ban on the gifting of peat.

Speaking on his way into Cabinet on yesterday, the Taoiseach said a “pragmatic solution” will be found to introduce a ban on the commercial sale of turf. He said “ultimately smoky coal is the villain, the real enemy” and that “turf is dying out as a basic fuel”.

Minister Ryan has now suggested rural communities of under 500 people will be exempt from the ban on the selling of turf.

He is adamant that the ban has to go ahead on health grounds.

At a meeting with Coalition leaders, Mr Ryan is understood to have said the draft regulations will strike a fair balance between reducing the 1,300 deaths caused every year by air pollution, while respecting the traditional reliance on turf in some rural areas.

Fine Gael TD Joe Carey and Senator Sean Kyne have hit out at their Government colleagues’ turf ban.

The rural politicians said they are not “going to lie down” over the issue.

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