Luke Flanagan (Roscommon-South Leitrim, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I found it interesting that the Minister when answering Deputy McLellan's question referenced the fact that something was private property. I was delighted to hear him recognise that concept because the lands he is talking about are also private property. If he thinks that adopting an ostrich-style approach to this will solve it, it will not. Of of the 9,000 turbary rights holders on the so-called 53 special areas of conservation, SACs, fewer than 1,000 have signed his final agreement, the one that finalises matters that the Minister said was not final. In terms of the 30,000 turbary rights holders and landowners on the NHAs, the Minister has not solved anything in that respect. Fewer than 1,000 of the 39,000 have been solved and the Minister thinks he can bulldoze ahead with this.

When the Minister was asked on our local radio station did he notify these people, and we should remember that he cares about private property, he said they were "probably notified". I imagine that response would not be very strong in court. He also went on to blame the previous Government, and he can blame it for many things but he cannot blame it for signing in the regulations that his Government signed in. As for who do I believe, I believe the people in Moanveanlagh because all the way along the line they have told us the position as it is.

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