A Sinn Féin motion to scrap the planned ban on the commercial sale of turf was defeated in a Dáil vote last night (Wednesday, April 27).

The main opposition party’s motion also sought to cancel an increase in carbon tax and temporarily remove the excise duty on home-heating oil.

The party’s motion was effectively cancelled out by a government amendment to it through a countermotion, which was backed by a sufficient number of TDs from the government parties.

Sinn Féin Cavan-Monaghan TD Matt Carthy said before the vote yesterday that, if the government’s countermotion was passed, it would “essentially delete” what was being called for in his party’s motion.

He had said: “It will be down to backbench [government] TDs to indicate whether what they have been saying for the past weeks in their constituencies is backed up by their actions tonight.”

Afterwards, responding to the vote late last night, Carthy criticised government TDs who backed the countermotion.

Taking to Twitter, he claimed: “After all the bluster from [Fianna Fáil] and [Fine Gael], tonight they voted against a [Sinn Féin] proposal to reduce [a] fill of heating oil by €118; against reductions in diesel, petrol and agri-fuel; [and] in favour of [a] turf ban.”

Several of his party colleagues – particularly those from rural areas – expressed similar views.

Galway West TD Mairéad Farrell said: “Disappointing that, despite all the rhetoric from government TDs, they failed to support the [Sinn Féin] motion tonight.”

Meanwhile, Donegal TD Pearse Doherty called the vote against his party’s motion “shameful”.

In the Dáil yesterday, Taoiseach Micheál Martin and his cabinet colleagues spent a good part of the day trying to allay concerns over the proposed turf sale ban.

The Taoiseach said that there will be no ban on the sharing of turf “for those with rights to harvest sod”.

The Taoiseach noted that a minority of people in the country now use turf to fulfill their energy needs.

However, he also said: “It is important what we protect the rights of people in rural Ireland, in terms of turbary rights; people utilising turf in their own bogs; and traditional practices in turf sharing.”

“They’re not being banned, and there will be no restriction on people who own their own bog to use turf in their domestic fire or people who share turf with their neighbours,” the Taoiseach told the Dáil.

He said: “No ban on the gifting of peat will be introduced for those with rights to harvest sod.”