Mayo TD Michael Ring has said Fine Gael will do everything possible to ensure families and communities which rely on turf will be “respected and protected”.

After some very public clashes with Environment Minister and Green Party leader Eamon Ryan over plans to ban turf sales, there was little sign of success in moves to defuse the row with Fine Gael.

Green Party sources suggested that the junior coalition party was avoiding comment to allow tempers cool and detailed compromise measures to be worked out. However, Fine Gael opposition appeared undimmed.

Mr Ring, a former rural development minister, was among a number of Fine Gael backbenchers who last week clashed with Mr Ryan at a ­special meeting on the issue.

Yesterday, in a statement issued via the Fine Gael press office, he said the party is working across government to ensure a fair resolution on the proposals to curb the sale and distribution of turf.

But he stressed his major sympathies lay with those dependent upon turf for heating.

“I fully understand the stress and worry this issue has caused many people, and we are doing everything we can to resolve it,” Mr Ring said.

“Myself and my colleagues are fully committed to ensuring there will be no end to ­traditional turf practices.”

As things stand, Mr Ryan is determined to clamp down on the use of fuels like smoky coal, wet timber and turf. But people with turf-cutting rights will be allowed to continue to harvest peat.

In communities with fewer than 500 people, an exemption will apply for the ban on selling turf, while gifting and exchange between neighbours may also continue.

But there is continuing pressure from Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil backbenchers to end this population-limit clause.

There is also confusion about when the turf ban will apply, with Taoiseach Micheál Martin saying it won’t be this year but Mr Ryan saying it will take effect in September.

Mr Ring said he and his colleagues will continue to protect the rights of people in rural Ireland while also ensuring all communities play their part in responding to the ­climate challenge.

He said solutions such as fast-tracking the provision of home retrofitting to certain communities that have a higher level of peat use should be examined.

“Retrofitting of homes is a key tool to both reducing energy use and bills,” he said.

“However, the National Retrofitting Scheme was only introduced in February 2022. The immense scale of the works required to retrofit homes inevitably means time is needed for the transition.”

Mr Ring also insisted the reality is that turf is currently needed and will be needed long into the future.

“There are no alternative sources readily available to replace turf,” he said.

He stated that people have been cutting, selling and ­buying turf for generations.

“It is an integral part of our way of life in many areas of rural Ireland.

“And while we need to improve our air quality and protect public health, we must acknowledge the reality that the use of turf only contributes to a very small proportion of air quality problems.”

The Mayo TD also criticised Sinn Féin for using the issue “in a cynical way”.