Barry Cowen to meet Eamon Ryan over turf sale ban concerns

Fianna Fáil TD for Offaly, Barry Cowen has revealed that he is to meet Minister Eamon Ryan to discuss concerns regarding proposals for an outright ‘cliff-edge’ ban on the commercial sale of turf.

Deputy Cowen commented, “I’m meeting Minister Ryan to raise my concerns with the current proposal. I’ll be seeking to ensure that there is a means of recognising the long-standing relationship between many households and commercial cutters without a cliff-edge ban on the transaction between the two.

Barry Cowen supports an end to the sale of turf on a 'gradual' basis

“We can live with the banning of sales at filling stations, retail outlets or the side of the road, but there should be an allowance made for dependent households and bogowners/cutters.”

The Offaly TD had already stated that, “some commercial turf-cutters have annual customers in localities where many homeowners don’t have their own plot and rely on these suppliers. It is those families and those providers who are impacted by a commercial sale ban.

“We have to try to see if some agreement can be reached for the phasing out of commercial sales in such instances, rather than the cliff edge proposal being suggested. It is important to make the point that proposals, while not finalised, do not impact on people continuing to cut turf for their own use.”

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Deputy Cowen also added that, “ultimately, we need a phasing out by agreement, whereby a just transition is realised with realistic and cost-efficient alternatives being made available for those impacted by proposals.”