Turf rights 'not affected' by new regulations

Government agrees new regulations on solid fuels

People with turbary rights and all other customary practices in respect of turf will be unaffected by new regulations just published, says the Department of Environment, Climate and Communications.

They will continue to be able to cut turf for their own use and will retain the ability to gift or sell turf – however, no sale of turf may take place by way of the internet or other media (i.e. advertising in local press), or from retail premises.

The statement from the department continued:

The primary focus of the draft regulations is on the large-scale, commercial sale of smoky fuels, including smoky coal, turf and wet wood. These fuels are proven to be a major contributor to air pollution in Ireland.

Under the regulations the following new health standards for solid fuels will apply from October 31 this year.

• Coal products and manufactured solid fuels must have a smoke emission rate of less than 10g/hour;

• Manufactured part biomass products must have a smoke emission rate of less than 5g/hr;

• Coal products and manufactured solid fuels, including manufactured part biomass products, must have a sulphur content of less than 2% by weight on a dry ash-free basis. Subject to a market assessment, this limit will be reduced to 1% with effect from 1 September 2025;

• 100% biomass products, wood products and wood logs, supplies in units under 2m³, will be required to have a moisture content of 25% or less (moving to 20% with effect from September 1, 2025). Wood logs sold in larger volumes will be required to come with instructions for the purchaser on how to dry this wood.

For people seeking a cleaner and more cost-efficient alternative to smoky coal, low-smoke coal is already widely available.

Turbary rights

People with turbary rights and all other customary practices in respect of turf will be unaffected by these draft regulations. They will continue to be able to cut turf for their own use and will retain the ability to gift or sell turf. However, no sale of turf may take place by way of the internet or other media (i.e. advertising in local press), or from retail premises.

Health impacts of poor air quality

Poor air quality is a leading cause of premature deaths. Each year some 1,300 people die as a result of fine particulate matter, primarily associated with domestic solid fuel burning.

Regulation of solid fuel is a recognised means of addressing this. Research indicates that the introduction of the “smoky coal ban” in Dublin in 1990 has resulted in approximately 350 fewer mortalities per year, reducing cardiovascular, cerebrovascular and respiratory mortality in the general population.

The main health effects of air pollution include stroke, heart disease, lung cancer, and both chronic and acute respiratory diseases, including asthma. These conditions can lead to sickness and ill health, as well as premature mortality. Fine particulate matter (PM 2.5) – the pollutant of most concern from domestic solid fuel burning in Ireland – is linked to respiratory disease, cardiovascular disease, dementia and impacts on the central nervous and reproductive systems.

These regulations have been developed following intense work over a number of years, which included a public consultation that attracted more than 3,500 responses, and significant levels of engagement with stakeholders. They represent a proportionate response to the health impacts associated with burning the most polluting solid fuels.

The net effect of these changes is that the “smoky coal ban”, first introduced in Dublin thirty years ago, will now be in place across the country, resulting in significantly cleaner air for everyone. While this will represent a change to those who have used smoky coal up to now, a variety of less harmful products – such as low-smoke coal (ovoids) – are available which are cleaner and more cost-efficient.

Another significant effect is that access to turf through retail outlets and the internet will no longer be possible, while wood that they purchase for domestic heating purposes will be drier and cleaner to burn as a consequence.

(Information is from a media statement sent by the Department of Environment, Climate and Communications.)