Paul Connaughton Snr (Galway East, Fine Gael)

I thank the Ceann Comhairle for the opportunity to raise this matter. I want to give the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government and the Government a chance to think seriously about this terrible decision to prevent thousands of turf cutters throughout Ireland from cutting their own domestic supply of fuel on the 32 raised bogs designated under the EU habitats directive. In the economic circumstances in which we find ourselves, not alone do the thousands of bog owners who are to be driven out of their own bogs this spring believe this is a daft scheme operated under an illogical EU-Government order which makes no sense, but so do those in society generally. We need only look at the facts.

I must explain to the House I have a vested interest. I am one of the thousands of bog owners who will be prevented from cutting a domestic supply of turf this year, something which has happened in my family for three generations.

Last summer, as people harvested their supply of turf, the price of crude oil hit €147 a barrel, and while it is not at that level now, most economists suggest that over the next year or so this level will be surpassed. Bogs were made available to families to allow them to become self-sufficient with regard to fuel supplies. Everybody wants the ailing economy to be energy conscious and less dependent on foreign oil imports but the Government seems not to understand that turf provides fuel for cooking, heating houses and an array of purposes. Why would the Government, particularly in this week in our history when our collective backs are to the wall, want to drive thousands of ordinary, decent people out of their bogs, forcing them to replace their heating systems with appliances that are powered by electricity or gas, all necessitating expensive oil imports?

We must consider the loss of jobs on turf-cutting machines and the financial disaster that is facing turf-cutting contractors, many of whom have €500,000 tied up in expensive turf-cutting machinery that can never be used for any other purpose. When the beet industry was allowed to die a few years ago, at least the beet contractors got some financial help but nothing whatsoever is planned for the bog contractors. The compensation offered to bog owners is a measly €3,000 per acre. Even such a ridiculously low valuation is beyond the capacity to pay of this cash-strapped Government. In other words, it does not have the funds to pay in any case; the Government is not able to pay for a bog. Why not let people continue to supply their domestic needs?

Many areas of the country contain raised bogs which do not have the quality turf which is a feature of many of the 32 bogs previously mentioned. Why are efforts not made to take over those bogs? This would not cause problems for the landowners, because the turf quality is bad. It would allow people cut turf on their bogs, which have proved useful throughout the years. I warn the Minister and the Government that this matter will be very difficult to implement, because right is on the side of bog owners in this case. There is a moral right to allow them to cut turf on their bogs as they have been doing for generations.

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