Offaly Green Minister says no ultimatums on turf
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THE Government s consultation on solid fuels is not about imposing a ban on turf cutting and burning, Offaly Green Minister Pippa Hackett said on Monday.
Speaking in the Seanad, Senator Hackett said “no ultimatums” were being issued and she assured people that turbary rights would be protected.
The consultation was announced “because we want to reduce deaths from air pollution and to ensure a better quality of life for those with breathing difficulties,” said Senator Hackett, who is Minister of State for Biodiversity at the Department of Agriculture.
“This Government is committed to delivering a clean air strategy. Unfortunately, people have no choice about the air that they breathe. Anyone who goes out on a still winter s evening in an area with high levels of solid fuel burning cannot help but notice the smoky air. That smoke contains tiny particulates which damage our lungs and our bodies.”