Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Tuesday, 16 February 2021

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine

Impact of Peat Shortages on the Horticulture Industry: Discussion

Photo of Fiona O'LoughlinFiona O'Loughlin (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I appreciate the opportunity to make a comment. The meeting has been very interesting and engaging listening. I thank the Chairman for tabling this topic because it is hugely important to people. Some 6,600 jobs rely directly on this sector and 11,000 rely on it indirectly. I have some knowledge of mushrooms because my family were in mushroom farming many years ago. I was in college at the time and how much money I got going back to college on a Sunday night depended on the price of sterling at the time. I am very conscious of that. Mr. Gleeson and Mr. Dunne brought the crisis horticultural growers were facing to my attention a few months before Christmas. I have spoken about it in the Seanad, and spoken to a number of Ministers and to Deputy Cahill in his position as Chairman of this committee.

There are a number of anomalies here. Growers can bring peat in from Lithuania, Holland and Poland and the carbon footprint is increased hugely. There is huge hypocrisy here, apart from the cost, which Mr. Dunne noted is at least double the usual cost and could go up to quadruple that. Specific equipment is also needed for mixing. There was talk of food security but biosecurity, which Senator Lombard just mentioned, is also important. Regarding what is needed going forward, surely there can be a derogation in terms of horticultural peat. This is a green industry. It is not like we are burning peat, making briquettes or using it the way Bord na Móna was. I appreciate that Mr. Neenan has spoken about legislation that is needed and Mr. Dunne and Mr. Gleeson also referred to legislation on bogs under certain sizes. There has to be a way forward. Countries within Europe that are dealing with the same European legislation can put their own domestic legislation in place to deal with this issue. It has to be a priority. The committee is going to have a meeting with officials from the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine now. I get the sense from that Department and the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage that there is a willingness to try to deal with this, in the absence of viable alternatives at this point. It is absolutely crucial to do so.

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