The battle of the Bog

Sponge Bob wrote: »

The state deployed the following.

1. The Air Corps it seems, maybe a private plane but usually it's the Air Corps.
2. The ERU
3. A number of uniformed police...and scuttling along behind them.

3. The Rangers. Thats the National Parks rangers not the special forces.

And between them they confiscated 2 turf cutting machines on a bog.

The machines were rescued by a couple of local farmers that night.

http://www.galwaynews.ie/26413-bog-owners-twelve-hour-stand-garda%C3%AD-turf-row-hits-new-low




And the locals are not too happy at having guns flashed at them and low flying air corps aircraft buzzing etc.





This one is gonna run

mike65 wrote: »

Why do people cutting turf for personal use need mechanised methods?

laoisman11 wrote: »

obviously never worked with turf......

laoisman11 wrote: »

Rojomcdojo wrote: »

What Irish person hasn't worked with turf? I'm as city as they come and even I've spent time cutting and stacking turf as a teen over multiple summers.

That's what I was wondering too. Irishhomer wanted to raise some point but then thought that by letting the rest of world know what he meant was derailing the thread.

Odd.

kbannon wrote: »

They have been paid -quite handsomely at that!
http://www.independent.ie/national-news/payments-under-turf-scheme-are-doubled-3041634.html
http://www.shannonside.ie/news-details.php?nid=12437&action=newsdetails

Being paid 2 grand this year and 1500 for the following 14. How much does it cost to heat your house? Being paid not to have to go to the hassle of cutting and drying and hauling turf?

freyners wrote: »

from what I've heard (and forgive me if im wrong on this count, im only going on what I've been told) the compensation scheme is massively flawed.

How it was explained to me is that the compensation is paid out per person, not per bog. A lot of farmers have 3/4 banks that they either rent out for money or let their family members (brothers family, daughters family etc) cut turf off. Because the renter/family member doesnt own the bank they cant claim the compensation scheme and farmer cant claim for more than one bank which leaves 3/4 familys with diddly squat

Sponge Bob wrote: »

Turbary rights do not cease after some mysterious 10 year notice period from the state where the state is not the landowner.

Where on earth did that assertion of yours come from...supporting links would be a requisite.

Under the 1992 Habitats Directive Ireland agreed to protect various natural habitats which are of international importance, including by designating areas as Special Areas of Conservation (SACs) for their protection. Once designated, Ireland is obliged to monitor, protect and, where necessary, restore those habitats and species which are under threat. 55 sites have been designated as SACs for the conservation of raised bog habitat. In 2004, Ireland also designated 75 raised bogs as Natural Heritage Areas (NHAs) under the Wildlife Acts.

In 1999, arrangements were announced for the protection of the 31 raised bog sites that had been designated as SACs at that time. This included a 10-year national derogation during which domestic turf cutting could continue subject to certain restrictions. A similar 10-year derogation applied to the further 24 raised bog SACs and 75 raised bog Natural Heritage Areas (NHAs) designated after 1999.

In May 2010, the Government confirmed the end of the derogation for domestic turf cutting in these 130 Raised Bog conservation sites, on a phased basis, with restrictions being implemented on 31 bogs from 2010. The previous Government did not take any decision to amend or reverse their decision of May 2010.

An interim compensation scheme was put in place and land / turbary right owners that could be readily identified were notified directly of the restrictions and the compensation scheme. Advertisements were placed in local newspapers and on local radio.

My Department continued to monitor bogs in designated areas following the Government decision ending the derogation. In a number of cases contractors coming onto bogs to begin turf cutting discontinued their activities on having the situation explained to them.

The Programme for Government contains a commitment to the establishment of independent mediation between all relevant stakeholders with the specific objective of facilitating resolution to 55 Special Area of Conservation designated SAC bogs and to outstanding issues associated with turf cutting on blanket bogs.

I am giving early and urgent attention to this issue, and am currently working with my colleague Mr Jimmy Deenihan, TD, who will have responsibility for this matter as Minister for Arts, Heritage and Gaeltacht Affairs, in developing comprehensive proposals for Government reflecting the commitment in the Programme for Government. These proposals will also form the basis of Ireland’s response to a recent Letter of Formal Notice from the European Commission regarding Ireland’s alleged breaches of the Habitats and Environmental Impact Assessment Directives in relation to the issue of peat extraction.

The European Commission has also expressed concern regarding turf-cutting on raised bog Natural Heritage Areas. In addressing this issue, and achieving compliance with European law, we will also seek to accommodate the rights and wishes of turbary right owners in these sites, in accordance with the provisions of the Programme for Government of the Habitat Directive.

This Government will seek to resolve the long-standing issues regarding peat extraction on protected sites by working with local communities to address legitimate concerns while ensuring that Ireland is in compliance with EU environmental legislation. The proposals which are now being developed will put in place a range of measures designed to meet these twin aims.

Sanctions available to the Government include prosecution under the European Communities (Natural Habitats) Regulations, prosecution under the European Communities (Environmental Liability) Regulations 2008 and cross compliance reporting which may affect payments to farmers who are found to have cut turf illegally.

35. (1) A person who, without lawful authority—

(a) carries out, on land within or outside a European Site, any plan or project or activity that may have a significant effect on, or adversely affect the integrity of, a European Site, or

(b) enters or occupies any European Site, or brings onto or places or uses or releases in any European Site any animal or object, including but not limited to—

(i) any off-road vehicle, recreational watercraft, plant and equipment, tractor or engine,

(ii) machinery for the extraction or mining of natural resources including, but not limited to trees, vegetation, minerals, rock, soil, gravel, sand, turf or peat,

4. (1) Subject to sub-article (2) of this article, each of the works mentioned in Schedule 2 is specified for the purposes of section 19(1) of the Act and is unlawful unless carried out with the consent of the Minister.

Baralis1 wrote: »

Rural turfcutters who own bogs have cut turf in a conservative way for their own use for hundreds of years and own only a small proportion of what was originally bog in this country, doing minimal damage to the bogs. The state through bord na mona, owned the vast majority of bog, and destroyed millions of acres of it recklessly over the last 80 years or so to supply towns and cities with briqettes, and the country with electricity.

The state have destroyed their bogs and done huge amounts of damage which cannot be undone and now they want to punish the rural turfcutters who have done minimal damage.

That is madness! The state should just pay the fine and invest the resources used to harass turfcutters into trying to create a sustainable habitat for wildlife in what was once Bord na Mona bogland.

By the way, most turfcutters own their bog, and a few years compensation is not enough to replace maybe hundreds of years of heating fuel self sufficiency into the future.

For the person who asked about the use of machinery and accused turfcutters of laziness. Nowadays people work full time and don't have large families of ten or twelve children to call upon to cut turf by hand. It is a very labour intensive job to cut turf by hand with a slean and not feasible in the modern lifestyle.

I fully support those people in Portumna, and nobody will stop me cutting turf in my own bogs if they are eventually included in the same scheme.