Mr. Brian Rushe:

As mentioned, the long-term vision has to be that Bord na Móna will remain in these communities. We will continue to engage, liaise, act and speak on farmers' behalf around this piece. However, one of the key pillars of this is that Bord na Móna remains. We are in it for the long term and it should be in it for the long term. I agree with the earlier point about the money, work, effort and time that farmers put in over generations to manage, maintain and make unworkable land into fertile farmland. We are dealing with the best of productive land and that has to be protected.

We also need to keep an open mind. If Bord na Móna proves the levels of carbon that can be sequestered on peatlands, is there an opportunity for farmers in those areas to do some of that themselves? I am not talking about using all their land, but portions of it if there is potential. We have to keep an open mind, particularly in the vulnerable sectors, about alternative income streams. That is something farmers have made very clear to us.

On Deputy Carthy's question about horticultural peat, it is absolute madness what could happen. I live beside Timahoe bog, which is due to be rewetted. There are many nurseries there that use horticultural peat, which was available following a ten-minute drive up the road. Those nurseries are now pricing container loads of horticultural peat from Lithuania. That is what we are looking at and it makes no sense. It will have huge implications for a sector that we all agree we would like to see grow. It is a solid, profitable sector.

On the working groups, there is a liaison officer on the ground. Covid is not an excuse not to actively and continuously engage with farmers on the ground We have proved that we can use Zoom and Team. This is an opportunity for Bord na Móna and it is important it takes it up.