A proposal to prohibit the sale and marketing of turf has caused a sense of disbelief and anger within rural communities, according to independent TD for Laois-Offaly, Deputy Carol Nolan.

The criminalisation of turf cutting has been predicted and is now becoming reality, Deputy Nolan said, after the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications spoke on the matter raised by Fine Gael TD, Brendan Griffin.

Minister Eamon Ryan confirmed that a regulatory provision will be made to prohibit the marketing, sale or distribution of sod peat from this coming September.

The independent TD for Laois-Offaly said that “creeping criminalisation has moved up to full gallop”. Deputy Nolan commented:

“Last April, I explicitly warned that the government was engaged in a process of creeping criminalisation with respect to turf cutting and how rural communities in particular choose to utilise this natural resource.”

New solid-fuel regulations are due to come into force from September 1, the minister said, as each year approximately 1,300 people die prematurely nationwide due to air pollution caused by the burning of solid fuels.

However, the Green Party leader noted that people cutting turf for use in their own homes is a traditional activity across many peatlands, thus those with turbary rights will be able to continue to cut and burn sod peat for their own domestic purposes.

Deputy Nolan commented that people have absolutely zero faith that this position will be maintained into the future, as there is a fundamental lack of trust in anything Minister Ryan has to say when it comes to protecting traditional turf-cutting practices.

“Are we really at the stage where rural families with a sign outside their properties advertising the sale of a few bags of turf are to be treated as eco-criminals?

“This is grossly disproportionate and unjust, and it needs to be resisted immediately from every rural – and indeed every urban – TD within the government,” Deputy Nolan demanded.