INDEPENDENT TD LUKE ‘Ming’ Flanagan has challenged the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht Jimmy Deenihan on the issue of the legality of turf cutting, saying it is time for him to “either put up or shut up”.
Flanagan’s comments come after two men appeared in Listowel District Court yesterday charged in related to alleged illegal turf cutting on a bog in Kerry last year.
The men are being supported by the Irish Turf Cutters and Contractors Association (TCCA) including Flanagan, and speaking to TheJournal.ie today, the TD said members will be “vindicating their rights by cutting turf again this year”.
Flanagan hit out at Minister Deenihan, who has previously said that the Roscommon-South Leitrim TD is breaking the law by cutting turf himself in Cloonchambers bog and accused him of encouraging others to break the law.
“If I am breaking the law then why have I not been arrested?” Flanagan said. “It is long overdue for the minister to either put up or shut up.”
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