LARGE CROWDS GATHERED outside Leinster House tonight to demonstrate against the closure of 53 raised bogs to turf cutting.
The crowd exceeded 1,500 with both Kildare Street and Molesworth Street in Dublin city centre closed to traffic.
Inside the Dáil chamber the government withdrew its amendment to Roscommon-South Leitrim TD Luke Ming Flanagan’s motion which supports the turf cutters.
With Taoiseach Enda Kenny in the Dáil, the motion passed with cross-party support. It demands that the government acknowledge the impact of the Habitats Directive on the rights of people to cut turf on their lands.
Turf-cutting is banned on 53 raised bogs in Ireland under EU conservation regulations announced last year as a result of impending financial penalties from the European Commission.
The government has proposed compensation for turf cutters affected but Flanagan has previously said they do not want this.
Here are a selection of pictures from the protests outside Leinster House tonight:
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