Paul McGrath (Westmeath, Fine Gael)

——my father ensured we were there and looking back we had some enjoyable times. However, 75 people in south Westmeath with turbary rights are now being cut off and told they no longer have those rights. Deputy Penrose and I recently attended an IFA meeting where we witnessed these people's anger. We met greater anger from the IFA officials present who had negotiated with the Government on behalf of such farmers around the country who would be affected. They gave us a copy of the document entitled "Agreement between the Government and Farming Organisations on Review of Implementation of the Habitats Regulations 1997". It outlined what was decided in the 2003 Sustaining Progress partnership agreement. It stated that the designation process should "be brought to completion as speedily as possible, while having full regard to the need for consultation with land owners and users, in order to meet legal obligations and to remove uncertainty for land owners and users".

Deputy Penrose quoted from Appendix 3 of the document which, in respect of compensation for turf-cutters, under the heading of "Additional incentive payment" stated:

The following applies in the case of Raised Bogs and also applies where it is necessary to prohibit turf cutting in Blanket Bogs.

Save in exceptional circumstances, people will be allowed to continue domestic cutting on their plots for up to 10 years.

The IFA official present who negotiated that agreement with the Government was very much of the opinion that this would mean the ten years up to 2015. Deputy Penrose tabled a parliamentary question to the Minister, who stated these rights would cease next year and they would need to stop cutting then. We need to resolve this issue. The people who negotiated the agreement believed they had ten years from that point. The Government is now interpreting it as a two-year deal, which is not satisfactory. We need an interpretation on the matter. I ask the Minister of State to talk to the farmers concerned. Some compromise needs to be reached.

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