Victor Boyhan (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I thank all the witnesses for coming in. I declare somewhat of an interest. I have worked professionally in the horticultural industry for 40 years. I did some work in Teagasc many moons ago on mushroom production in Kinsealy. I have visited many of the mushroom plants in the country over the past two years. Clearly there is this issue of an alternative. I agree with Deputy Carthy that the time for hypocrisy is over. We have a successful and valuable mushroom production industry. It is hard to believe we can pick mushrooms in Ireland on a Wednesday and have them on supermarket shelves in London on Friday and Saturday. It is an amazing success story.

The reality is there is no alternative. I would like to hear about the industry's engagement with Teagasc. I hope the committee will discuss this later. We should ask the Minister to request further research from Teagasc. All the alternatives proposed do not produce the same yields. I say this for the laypeople outside this committee who may be listening in. Mushrooms are not vegetables or fruits; they are fungi. They require heat, moisture and a particular level of light. There are many conditions for growing mushrooms. It is important that we protect the horticultural industry. The programme for Government proposes enhancing the industry.

I ask the witnesses to share with us the engagements they have had with Teagasc. I ask them to outline the impacts on soft fruit production, forestry and nursery stock. I am fully supportive of peat. We need to take our environment seriously. I would be interested to hear the witnesses' views on a just transition. I am talking about something that will take a few years. Where are the witnesses currently sourcing their peat? We are hearing that peat is coming in from Poland and Latvia. Polish and Dutch growers will take up our market share if we lose it. We need to fight hard for the horticultural industry.

We need to look for alternative growing media. We know that vermiculite, peat and compost are used for the casings for mushrooms. I am in solidarity with the growers. I understand this business and the difficulties it is encountering. I ask the witnesses to outline their relationship with Teagasc research and the investment they are putting into that.