Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications Eamon RyanPlan to ban turf sales deferred until next yearPlans to implement a ban on the sale of turf on September 1 appear now to be paused after the Taoiseach Micheál Martin told the Dáil on Wednesday night that there would be no ban for the remainder of the year. His commitment came as a Sinn Féin Dáil motion to scrap the plan to ban turf sales, cancel a pending carbon tax increase and to temporarily remove excise duty on home heating oil was defeated. During the week, the controversy over the proposed turf sale ban had shown no sign of abating despite indications that Minister was conceding ground on the issue. I am in favour of a ban on commercial scale extraction and sale of turf as this contributes to air pollution in the more urban areas. Introducing these regulations banning smoky coal and wet wood, and prohibiting the commercial sale of sod turf, will save lives, it said.

Source: Irish Independent April 29, 2022 16:43 UTC