Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 29 September 2022
66. Deputy Verona Murphy asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the channels through which persons with turbary rights can continue to sell turf beyond the end of October 2022; the financial supports that will be made available to self-employed persons whose livelihood is wholly dependent on turf sales; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47623/22]
View answerThe new regulations on the sale of solid fuels for domestic heating in Ireland will take effect from 31 October 2022. They will introduce minimum standards that will apply across all solid fuels, to ensure that the most polluting can no longer be made available on the Irish market and to assist the public in transitioning to less polluting alternatives. There are no financial supports planned for any sector distributing solid fuels which are subject to the standards and provisions provided for in the new regulations.Enhanced measures are required to improve air quality and protect public health. It is estimated that each year, some 1,300 people die prematurely in Ireland due to air pollution from solid fuel burning and that there are over 16,200 life years lost. In addition, many people also experience a poor quality of life due to the associated short-term and long-term health impacts of this form of pollution. The regulations are a critical element of addressing this public health and environmental challenge and will serve to improve the quality of the air that we breathe, and the health of the public that we serve. People with turbary rights and all other customary practices in respect of turf will be unaffected by the regulations. They will continue to be able to cut turf for their own use and will retain the ability to gift or sell turf provided this is not done by way of the internet or other media, or from a retail premises (including shops, garages and filling stations, fuel yards, and public houses and other public places). All other channels will remain open to them.
