Martin Heydon (Kildare South, Fine Gael)

I will be parochial on this motion and discuss my own constituency, Mouds bog in particular. Mr. Justice Quirke in his report referred to the breakdown in communication and a breakdown of trust between the relevant parties. The people of Mouds bog have not been represented or properly communicated with by the State since the issue of designation first arose. That trust is crucial to us being able, on a political level, to continue to work towards solutions to the very difficult situation regarding this bog.

The TCCA report, for which the association is to be congratulated, highlights some of the difficulties Mouds faces. The fact the bog is 12 to 14 miles from any potential relocation bog and that Bord na Móna admits the quality of turf there is pretty much useless for domestic turf cutters are major issues. The risk of flooding to the many houses that have been built on nearby flood plains, should the bog be flooded or drains not maintained, is paramount to all who live at or beside Mouds bog.

One only has to see what has happened in the past in this area to understand why the people of Mouds are so upset and hurt over the designation of their bog. The State owns most bog complexes that surround Mouds bog. For years, the State has stripped these bogs to their core, leaving a trail of destruction and barren deserts behind it, while at the same time the cutters on Mouds worked that bog for fuel for their own use only. The State bogs are not worth preserving, yet due to the level of care and attention that generations of families have carried out at Mouds bog, theirs was decided for designation. They worked the bog for generations, kept the drains clear, made sure potential dumpers were kept away and prevented and quenched many fires. For this painstaking work, their bog was designated as an SAC without them ever being consulted.

What is worse is that groups like the Friends of the Irish Environment will try to portray these same people, who are custodians of the bog and who care more about preservation than anybody, as criminals intent on damaging the raised bog. No wonder there has been a breakdown in trust. Since I was elected last year, I have endeavoured to represent these people to the very best of my ability. I undertook to travel to Brussels at short notice with my colleagues, Deputies Frank Feighan and Paul Connaughton, when the opportunity came to meet Commissioner Potocnik and to explain to him the difficulties we faced. I have worked closely with the Minister, Deputy Deenihan, and Dr. Conor Skehan, whose contribution to this issue over the past year has been immense. I welcome the Minister's speech yesterday, not because it announced an increase in the compensation but because it acknowledged that the genuine turf cutters on these raised bogs throughout the country have been let down in the past by State agencies and representatives.

Deputy Ó Cuív admitted in the House last night that there was no official derogation from the Commission and that not enough was done during Fianna Fáil's time in power. The fact is that nothing at all was done during its time in power. If only three or four bogs had been dealt with each year throughout that period, we would have the issue sorted out by now instead of being up against the clock, with a financial gun to our head due to threatened fines.

I also welcome the Minister's comments regarding the development of a national plan for the management of all the raised bogs designated as SACs, and that it may be possible to bring some limited flexibility for a few of the most difficult bogs where there are no alternative solutions. There is acceptance that Mouds is one of the most difficult bogs to deal with. I also accept that this can only be done within the framework of the habitats directive and that a plan will not be acceptable and will have no credibility if cutting continues this year on the affected bogs.

This is where we come back to trust. The people of Mouds bog need to trust us and work with us as we continue to try to find solutions to many of the problems with this current situation. I, for one, remain committed to representing these people who have been wronged in the past, while also ensuring we stay within the laws of Europe and that we protect the taxpayers of this country against any potential fines.

See this speech in context