Independent TD Sean Canney has slammed the proposed ban on the sale and distribution of turf from September 2023. Canney adds that the ban is causing severe stress to homeowners.
Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment Leo Varadkar claims that the proposal was “paused”, however Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications, Eamon Ryan is planning to push ahead with the controversial move.
The minister says that the measure is needed to reduce air pollution associated with burning peat. The ban will not apply to turf cutting or burning by people with turbary rights for use in their own homes.
According to TD Canney, “we have hundreds of thousands of homeowners who rely on buying the trailer of turf for heating their homes. We have many householders who purchase turf on the spread, save it themselves and bring it home.”
He adds that there is no alternative in place to heat their homes, provide hot water and heat ranges for cooking meals. The Galway TD says that many of these homes are local authority houses and the local authority will need at least a 20-year time frame to install alternative heating systems.
Canney says that many people cannot afford the cost of installing a heat pump despite grant aid from the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI).