Eamon Ryan warned turf ban could bring down Government

Green Party leader Eamon Ryan has been warned by his coalition colleagues that his plan to ban the sale of turf could collapse the Government.

In an extraordinary series of private meetings yesterday, the Environment Minister came under sustained attack from Fine Gael TDs, some of whom shouted him down and heckled him.

At a separate meeting, he was told by Fianna Fáil TDs that his plan could bring down the coalition.

Senior Fianna Fáil TD Barry Cowen said Mr Ryan was left in “no doubt” that the majority of the Fianna Fáil parliamentary party disagreed with his proposals on turf.

He added that a provision where rural communities of under 500 people would be exempt from the ban was not acceptable.

Fine Gael TD and Deputy Government Whip Brendan Griffin told Mr Ryan his insistence on pushing ahead with the plans was threatening the stability of the Government, amid indications some Fine Gael TDs and senators will not support the ban.

The ongoing “turf wars” spilled over to the Cabinet yesterday. Education Minister Norma Foley criticised government communications on the issue.

Social Protection and Rural Affairs Minister Heather Humphreys insisted that if the small turf cutter is left alone, there will not be an issue for the Government.

There were sharp exchanges at the hour-long meeting between Mr Ryan and Fine Gael backbenchers. It was abruptly ended when a Dáil vote was called.

Mr Ryan faced multiple accusations from former Fine Gael minister Michael Ring, who claimed the Greens’ chief was trying to put him off the road, as well as ceding votes from the coalition parties to Sinn Féin, taking
away people’s livelihoods and allowing the public service to run the country into the ground.

Clare TD Joe Carey confronted Mr Ryan and asked whether he had ever “saved” turf – the practice of turning turf to dry it – to which Mr Ryan said he had not.

Laois-Offaly TD Charlie Flanagan said the ceiling of 500 people in small rural communities who would be exempt from the ban would set small villages against each other and was a “recipe for division and strife”. He described it as “unwork-
able and unenforceable”.

Mr Ryan insisted he had brought money and jobs to rural Ireland and said the Government’s plans to restrict turf sales was a matter of public health.

After Mr Ryan met Fianna Fáil TDs and senators later in the day, Mr Cowen said the minister was “told to go back to the drawing board” and that incentives would be needed to assist people transitioning away from turf to heat their homes.

At the meeting between Mr Ryan and Fianna Fáil parliamentarians, Longford TD Joe Flaherty said the ban due to come into force from September was a “premature move” and that this was the last generation to harvest turf.

Clare TD Cathal Crowe said he could not vote for the current draft proposals, describing them as “poorly timed, mean-spirited and anti-rural”.

Roscommon senator Eugene Murphy also said the current legislation would be difficult for him to support.

In a statement, Mr Ryan’s spokesperson acknowledged there was a “robust exchange of views”, but said the minis-
ter outlined the importance of the rules to reduce the 1,300 deaths and associated illnesses by air pollution annually.

“The minister said the primary intention of the draft Solid Fuel Regulations is to focus on the large-scale and commercial sale of smoky fuels,” the spokesperson said.

“The draft regulations will not impact on small rural communities’ traditional use of turf.”

Mr Ryan agreed to meet again with Fine Gael TDs.