Luke Flanagan (Roscommon-South Leitrim, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister for his reply. My question was to find out the number of SAC-designated bogs that have now been resolved to the satisfaction of stakeholders, including turf-cutters. The answer is zero. Seventeen years later, none of this has been resolved.

I refer to a press release on Deputy Paul Connaughton's website last February which stated, "Mountbellew bog relocation can be replicated". I suggest the Minister does not replicate what happened there because he will never get it resolved. He cannot expect people to move out of their land and to move to another area - to be good enough to do it - and then to be told that in 65 years time, which will eventually come, that they will have to leave that place and they will have no more rights. I said it here before and I will repeat it. If anyone came to a person in Dublin or in any other county and told them, "We meant to tell you a few years ago that you were going to have to move out of your house. We forgot and we never bothered to tell you. However, now you have to move out and you have no choice, otherwise you will be a criminal. By the way, you will be run out of the new house in 65 years time as well." That is not the way to solve this problem.

A plan and proposals were voted through this House. Everyone agreed with them. The Minister will say the Government went along with them but that has not happened. I am beginning to wonder whether it is the strategy to drive every single turf-cutter in this country through the courts and to sit them beside people who have robbed their neighbours' houses and others who have beaten up old people, and to drag them through that system. Is that the way the Minister plans to resolve it? It is a bit strange when my ten year old daughter knew that the Minister's neighbours in Kerry were being dragged through the courts before he did. How does the Minister plan to resolve this issue? His method is not working. There is one thing for sure; we will be vindicating our rights again this year. It is my understanding that turf has already been cut on one of these bogs that the Minister keeps trumpeting as a success.

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