The Government has announced details of a compensation package for turf cutters who will no longer be allowed to cut turf on raised bogs in the West and Midlands, because of new EU environmental regulations.
The scheme will involve payments of up to €15,000 to individual turf cutters.
The offer has been described as 'very bad value' by the organisation which represents the turf cutters.
The Government offer is an attempt to defuse a growing row over an EU directive which obliges Ireland to protect and conserve ecologically important peatland habitats.
Cutting turf on 31 raised bogs has already been banned and the ban will be extended to 24 more by the end of the year.
Individual turf cutters affected by these bans will be offered €1,000 a year compensation - up to a maximum of €15,000.
Announcing the scheme, Environment Minister Phil Hogan said Ireland had legal obligations and there would be immediate consequences if we did not meet them.
But newly-elected Independent Roscommon TD Luke Ming Flanagan, who is PRO of the Turf Cutters Association, said the compensation package represented 'very bad value'.
He said €1,000 a year would fall far short of what it would cost to heat a house by oil or any other fuel.
Deputy Flanagan said he was also extremely disappointed that Minister Hogan, whom he met at 5pm yesterday, had given no indication at that time of what the Government was planning.
