Dr. Catherine Farrell:

I will address the approach to rewetting and rehabilitation of the bogs. To facilitate milled peat production, when working with peatland systems, one has to dig drains to dry the peat. We have an extensive network of field drains within our bog units. Our aim is not to flood the bogs but to raise the water level to the peat's surface. Within the topography of the cutaway bogs, there will always be depressions, so we inevitably get a mix of open water. In other areas, this is just to bring the water level back to the peat's surface to encourage the establishment of those peatland species that are the target species that we want back on sites.

Our rehabilitation is generally done on a three-phase basis. Before anything else, we do a flood risk assessment which looks at water levels. As Deputy Healy-Rae rightly said, many of the drainage works on Bord na Móna lands have facilitated development of agricultural lands around Bord na Móna bogs. We carry out a flood risk assessment to see what will happen when we block the field drains. The three phases are to look at internal field drains and slow down water movement within the peatland to trap water on site to stop the summer drying and to facilitate the establishment of vegetation. After two to five years, the potential for blocking outfalls of the bog is assessed. After that, we look at whether everything is okay. At each of those phases, we have ongoing consultation with the communities and people on the edges of the bog. It involves talking to farmers if they have concerns. This is one of the ongoing activities in Littleton. If we are doing any real wetting, we have to walk the land and ensure that people's concerns are heard. We consider the roads adjoining the land. All of that is combined with monitoring. Sometimes the bog presents surprises. In our history of rehabilitation of 20,000 ha, we have dealt with any surprises and have not had negative impacts on surrounding land. That is to alleviate concerns in that respect.