The Government has been accused of treating turf 'like an illegal drug.'

Independent TD Michael Healy-Rae said on Tuesday the Government was "losing rural Ireland" over the turf row.

It came during a debate on a Sinn Féin motion, which called for a ban on the sale of turf from September to be scrapped.

The opposition party has also submitted a motion calling on the Government to temporarily remove excise duty on home heating oil and cancel the planned increases in carbon tax on fuels used for home heating from May 1st.

While the Rural Independent Group has submitted a similar motion - calling on the Government to scrap the carbon tax in its entirety, and to hold a referendum on carbon taxation.

The Government intends introducing the new turf rule in September, except in small rural communities of less than 500 people.

Following a Cabinet meeting on Tuesday, the Government said two memos have been prepared - each containing counter motions setting out the context in which the rise in energy costs is happening.

It also said revenues from additional increases in the carbon tax will be used to support "the most vulnerable households in society but also to assist in reducing our reliance on fossil fuels".

And it said the range of "mitigating measures" the Government has brought in in recent weeks "more than offset the upcoming carbon tax rate increase" on May 1st.

But Deputy Healy-Rae said the turf plan must be dropped.

"You'd swear to God that it was some sort of an illegal drug the way we're talking about it - 'the sale or supply of turf'.

"I never actually thought it would come to this.

"Where's the support for this? The backbenchers in Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil know that this will be their death knell, the final nail in the coffin.

"They're losing rural Ireland now.

"Eamon Ryan - the minister for re-introducing wolves into rural Ireland, for shorter showers, the minister for car-pooling and us all walking to the village or cycling to get into this car that wouldn't be there in the first place for us.

"The minister that has his foot firmly placed in his mouth from early in the morning till late at night.

"At this stage he and his party are actually an embarrassment to the environmental movement in Ireland", he adds.

Additional reporting: Eoghan Murphy