Jimmy Deenihan (Kerry North-West Limerick, Fine Gael)

The instrument to which the Deputy refers has nothing to do with the closure of bogs and has been in force for the past four years. As the Deputy knows, we were ruled against in the court, which stated we had not done enough to put in place the birds directive. That instrument went out for consultation last summer and the Turf Cutters and Contractors Association did not respond to it. It has nothing to do with the closure of 53 bogs, which we are told must happen.

I want to make this point very clear as it has been mentioned as one of the reasons the Turf Cutters and Contractors Association has withdrawn. The association has stated the reason it withdrew from the last meeting was a statement made by Deputy Hogan. It was not because of the instrument I recently signed that I had no option but to sign. It was there and had been completed by the time I came into office. It had gone out for consultation but the aforementioned organisation did not respond. I make that point clear today.

As for the overall process, I remind the Deputy the previous Government made a Cabinet decision in May 2010 that these 53 bogs would be closed that year but they were not. Last year, many of them were closed and I understand that cutting only took place on six bogs-----

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