Taoiseach Micheal Martin has said there is no ban on the use of turf and there will be no ban “for the remainder of the year”.
Mr Martin said he wanted to “make it clear” while speaking in the Dail after a major row which Green Party leader Eamon Ryan has been told is threatening the stability of the Government.
Minister Ryan is adamant that the proposed ban on the commercial sale of turf will come into place from September 1.
Read More: Eamon Ryan warned not to threaten 'stability of government' in 'robust' meeting on turf ban
But Fianna Fail backbenchers have said the draft regulations which have been mooted so far will not get the support of Minister Ryan’s partners in Government.
A spokesman for Minister Ryan said the proposed ban, which could impact communities of over 500 people and one-off rural houses, is planned to go ahead from September.
Both Mr Martin and Minister Ryan have said the proposed ban won’t impact people this winter.
A spokesman for Minister Ryan said: “The draft regulations won’t really have an effect until next year as most people are likely to have bought their turf before the autumn.”
Rural Independent TD for Roscommon-Galway, Michael Fitzmaurice has said that statement from the Green Party “shows how out of touch the Greens are.”
He told the Irish Mirror: “People buy turf all year round.
“People living in social housing don’t stock up, they might buy a bag or two.
“It just shows how out of touch the Green are, they’re not twisting and turning.
“That just shows how far removed they are of someone living on €13,000 and can only buy a few bags at a time.”
Fianna Fail TD Barry Cowen said: “The bottom line is there no proposals will go before the Dail until such time there is agreement with partners in government, and Minister Ryan doesn’t have that right now.”
Sinn Fein leader Mary Lou McDonald hit out at the Taoiseach and said he couldn’t even convince his own backbenchers of the merits of the plan.
She said this was “despite the fact that people in rural Ireland, particularly older people, people on lower incomes with no alternative, will struggle and struggle badly..
“This ban is the wrong move at the wrong time.
It's unfair, it alienates communities, and it will be unworkable.”
In response, Mr Martin said Sinn Fein wanted to get rid of the legislation that underpins the carbon tax, which in turn provides the funding to deal with fuel poverty.
He added: “There is no ban on the use of turf in rural Ireland and there will be no ban for the remainder of the year.”
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