A decision to refer Ireland to the European Court of Justice over its failure to halt bog cutting could spark another wave of protests across rural Ireland and set back years of progress on protecting them, one local TD has claimed.

The EU Commission said bogs in Special Areas of Conservation (SACs) continue to be degraded through drainage and turf-cutting activities and insufficient action is being taken to restore the sites.

“For instance, whilst some restoration work has been undertaken on raised bog sites, no action has been taken regarding blanket bog sites where Ireland has failed to put in place an effective regulatory regime to protect these unique bog sites,” it said.

The EU executive has been warning Ireland to take action on protecting these “biodiversity hotspots” since 2011 and their decision to take Ireland to court could see massive daily fines levied.

Independent Ireland TD for Galway-Roscommon Michael Fitzmaurice said the decision to refer Ireland to court had obliterated years of progress made between the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS), domestic turf-cutters and contractors.

“Today’s decision creates the serious risk that we will see a complete breakdown in cooperation between stakeholders domestically and may very well see a return to tensions on Irish bogs which in recent years had been defused,” predicted the chairperson of the Turf Cutters and Contractors Association (TCCA).

Caption: Deputy Michael Fitzmaurice.

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