A fine in the region of €5,000 was imposed on a landowner for illegal turf-cutting on a protected area in Westmeath. The incident occurred in 2019.
Minister of state with responsibility for heritage Malcolm Noonan has said that his Department instigated the “prosecution proceedings through the district court arising from unlawful turf-cutting” at Milltownpass Bog in Co Westmeath, which is protected as a Natural Heritage Area.
“Incidents such as this of dumping, trespass and environmental damage which occur on protected sites [Special Areas of Conservation, Special Protection Areas and Natural Heritage Areas] need to be dealt with, and if necessary through the courts, in order to protect such sites,” he said.
Dumping and damage
“My Department, as result of serious and ongoing dumping, trespass and environmental damage to Milltownpass Bog NHA, Co Westmeath, was recently obliged, in furtherance of its obligations under the Wildlife Acts, to obtain an order of the High Court in order to have these activities stopped and to prevent further damage to the NHA.
“However, it is important to stress that my preference, as Minister for Heritage, together with that of Department officials, is for these protected sites to be managed and conserved without, if possible, recourse to the courts in a spirit of cooperation and agreement with landowners, farmers and the wider public in order to protect the ecological integrity of such sites.
“I encourage landowners, farmers and recreational users of publicly accessible land to act responsibly at all times, to be mindful of nature conservation and, particularly, the requirements in relation to sites protected for nature conservation under law,” he said.
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A fine in the region of €5,000 was imposed on a landowner for illegal turf-cutting on a protected area in Westmeath. The incident occurred in 2019.
Minister of state with responsibility for heritage Malcolm Noonan has said that his Department instigated the “prosecution proceedings through the district court arising from unlawful turf-cutting” at Milltownpass Bog in Co Westmeath, which is protected as a Natural Heritage Area.
“Incidents such as this of dumping, trespass and environmental damage which occur on protected sites [Special Areas of Conservation, Special Protection Areas and Natural Heritage Areas] need to be dealt with, and if necessary through the courts, in order to protect such sites,” he said.
Dumping and damage
“My Department, as result of serious and ongoing dumping, trespass and environmental damage to Milltownpass Bog NHA, Co Westmeath, was recently obliged, in furtherance of its obligations under the Wildlife Acts, to obtain an order of the High Court in order to have these activities stopped and to prevent further damage to the NHA.
“However, it is important to stress that my preference, as Minister for Heritage, together with that of Department officials, is for these protected sites to be managed and conserved without, if possible, recourse to the courts in a spirit of cooperation and agreement with landowners, farmers and the wider public in order to protect the ecological integrity of such sites.
“I encourage landowners, farmers and recreational users of publicly accessible land to act responsibly at all times, to be mindful of nature conservation and, particularly, the requirements in relation to sites protected for nature conservation under law,” he said.
Read more
My Country Living: 'Unlike many other people, I really like working in the bog'
The constraints imposed on 35,000 farmers on designated lands
Future jobs for turf workers key to Just Transition Fund
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