Michael Healy-Rae (Kerry South, Independent)

I thank the Technical Group Members for sharing some of their time with me. I thank Deputy Luke 'Ming' Flanagan for bringing forward this very important Private Members' motion, and I thank the excellent people, such as Pat Fitzpatrick, who worked with the Deputy and have put much time and effort into the issue. I acknowledge the work of the Turf Cutters and Contractors Association, TCCA, including Mr. Michael Fitzmaurice and his great team of people. I compliment them on their excellent work going the length and breadth of this country to endless meetings, with site visits to bogs and for putting together an excellent set of proposals on each of the 57 raised bogs. I acknowledge and welcome the sound people who have travelled from all parts of Ireland to the Gallery and outside on Kildare Street. They are most welcome in coming here tonight to show their support for the Private Members' motion. A massive amount of detail was put into the report and it must be appreciated by all of us.

There was a breakdown of trust in the past on this very important matter. The cutting of turf is one of the most important and basic rights of rural dwellers and any threat to that way of life would always have been resisted in the strongest possible manner. The TCCA proposal, which would ensure the protection of 98% of the raised bogs, is very generous and much thought, consideration and negotiation went into seeking agreement from turf cutters to congregate in 2% of bogs. We should remember that there are bogs where there is no alternative and relocation is impossible. Those turf cutters must be allowed to continue to cut turf.

Having studied the data in great detail, it should be noted that over the years, bogs which have lost much of their natural habitats may not have been cut at all. In other words, bogs that are worked have a greater chance of retaining their habitats than neglected bogs. This flies in the face of EU directives but it would not be the first time what people in the EU were telling us what to do would lack common sense. God help us but many of these people writing rules on raised bogs would not know one end of a slean from another; they would not know what is a sod of turf, the majority would never have seen an open fire in a house and if they did, they would call the fire brigade and run.

The studies do not support statements made by the Minister last night when he referred to the dramatic decline in raised bogs. I listened very closely to the Minister's contribution and his amendment following from Mr. Justice Quirke's report. I acknowledge the Kerry turf cutters, who represent people who have cut turf all their lives and who have constantly spoken of the lack of contact by present and previous Governments on this very important matter. I will cite the example of the turf cutters who worked in a bog just outside Listowel, where there is no alternative place to cut turf. I am alarmed by what the Minister proposes. We cannot have a position where anybody who cut turf traditionally over the years will face into the next couple of months-----

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