How Domestic Turf Cutting Works?

Comment:Thought and Action fully supports private property and the rights of the plot holder to cut turf for their families. The families have experienced remarkable harassment from NPWS ‘Rangers’, who seem to believe they can trespass on private land. The turf cutters and 900 families are no criminals.

Whilst I haven’t ever cut turf, I have worked at bringing home turf and rural people are for the environment. This attempt to criminalise 900 families is an attack on rural Ireland and a way of life. It’s bad enough, they are now trying to tax the family home never mind attempting to criminalise families for trying to heat their home and cook meals for their family.

All for EU bureaucrats with no loyalty to Ireland or her people.

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Barroughter-Clonmoylan-Bogs-Action-Group/195445003875984

“FOR THOSE WITH LIMITED KNOWLEDGE OF HOW DOMESTIC TURF CUTTING WORKS. Each of our 900 families own a bog plot (Private Property) of between .5 and 1.5 acres. Enough turf for a family to heat their homes and cook their meals is cut in this plot. No family cuts a surplus of turf because if their bog plot is gone they will have no turf to get.

The reason why we have got such good bogs in pristine condition is because of the care and conservation measures taken by the families themselves, without any help from the state over the years. On the other hand, vast tracts of raised bog has been plundered by the Irish State but they still have 28,418 hectares of raised bog suitable for preservation in addition to what they will continue to plunder from next Monday morning onwards. No need it appears for the state to preserve its bog but it is alright for the IRISH STATE to try and make criminals of our 900 families in our 3 bogs. In one of our bogs alone, when we scientifically surveyed it, more than 10,000 cubic metres of turf grows annually in that bog. That amount is GREATER than the amount cut by the families in that bog annually.”