There has been constant contact with the European Commission on turf cutting issues since the Government came into office in March of last year. When the Minister met the Environment Commissioner, Janez Potonik, on his visit to Dublin last week, he took the opportunity to update him on the progress being made. Last April, the Ministers, Deputies Hogan and Deenihan, met Commissioner Potonik in Brussels, where they secured his support for developing a national raised bog SAC management plan. This was in keeping with the recommendations of Mr. Justice Quirke following his report on the Peatlands Forum. It was also in line with the motion agreed unanimously by Dáil Éireann on 7 March last, which called on the Government to "engage actively with the European Commission to seek a resolution within the terms of the Habitats Directive, and to prepare and submit a National Raised Bog Restoration Plan to the Commission as a matter of urgency". That plan will provide for the long-term protection of Ireland's raised bog SACs, will address the needs of turf cutters and will unlock the flexibility available for dealing with the most difficult bogs within the terms of the habitats directive. A delegation of Commission officials visited Ireland in October to discuss the progress being made. During their visit, they travelled to Clara Bog in County Offaly and the nearby relocation site at Killeranny. They also met representatives of several bogs who are engaging with the State to find solutions which meet their needs as turf cutters, through compensation or relocation. The detailed exploration of relocation sites is a key element in progressing the national plan. My Department, in collaboration with the Peatlands Council and with the assistance of Bord na Móna, is actively engaging with turf cutting communities to consider how relocation can be progressed.
