Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 19 Feb 2002

Vol. 548 No. 5

Written Answers. - Turbary Rights.

John Perry

Question:

158 Mr. Perry asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Rural Development if, further to Parliamentary Question No. 113 of 6 February 2002, he will clarify if the new owner can put sheep in this cutaway; if he will allow a person (details supplied) in County Sligo to sell turbary rights or if he will give this person permission to allow somebody to cut turf in 2002; if he will address all the issues raised in the parliamentary question; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5676/02]

Minister for Agriculture, Food and Rural Development (Mr. Walsh):

The former Land Commission sold the rights of turbary reserved out of these fee simple plots to third parties. My Department as successor to the former Land Commission sold the fee simple of these plots to other persons. Where the former Land Commission sold turbary rights to a third party, those turbary rights were intended to be exercised by that third party for the taking of turf for private use only. If the fee simple owner of a plot subject to turbary rights wishes to graze sheep on the cutaway, he or she must do so in a way that does not interfere with any existing rights of the turbary owners. The rights of the fee simple owner and the turbary right owner are a matter for the persons concerned.