Victor Boyhan (Independent) | Oireachtas source

First, I welcome the witnesses. I do not intend to take up too much time because I spent a lot of yesterday being mushroomed out with talking about it. The national newspapers today have covered this issue quite extensively. I am very supportive of the horticulture sector and particularly the witnesses' sector. It is grossly unfair and hypocrisy at its best to talk about bringing in peat or substitute peat from the Baltic states, such as vermiculite, cocoa shells and so forth. We know they simply do not work. We know from the Teagasc representatives who appeared before the committee that there is really no alternative. I have focused on mushrooms but there is also the general horticulture sector. Peat and milled peat are also used in forestry, particularly forestry nursery stock, and also in horticulture stock, including ornamental stock, and salad and vegetable production.

There is a very mixed message from the Government. I am not in government or in a Government party and I am not here to criticise any member of the committee who is in a Government party because every member of the committee is fully committed to agriculture and horticulture. How have the witnesses engaged with the Department? What was the response of the Department to the case they made? I would advocate strongly that there should be a ten-year exemption period. Yes, we all recognise that we must find alternatives, but there are no real alternatives. I realise I am preaching to the converted here but I am very conscious of the jobs in Monaghan, Louth, Wexford and the midlands. We talk about sustainability and we discussed the climate action Bill, but this does not make sense. Basically, we have carbon leakage by importing peat substitutes. I thank the witnesses for attending the meeting and I urge them to keep advocating on behalf of their industry. There are huge implications. I have no doubt that we will see aspects of this issue in the courts; I am quite confident we will. I thank the witnesses for persisting in pursuing this. They should mobilise their industry and mobilise their elected representatives to put pressure on the Government. The reality is that the Green Party is part of the Government. It is part of the problem. It might think it is part of the solution but I do not believe it is at this time. We need to shift and apply political pressure and the industry's pressure on politicians so we can have some sort of practical alternative arrangement to support the horticulture industry in the months and years ahead.

Finally, the witnesses have a great ally in Bord Bia. Bord Bia has done a tremendous amount of work in promoting mushrooms. As I said yesterday in the Seanad, I went to a few supermarkets at the weekend and picked up mushrooms from refrigerators in different stores. I could clearly see the proud Irish brand, Bord Bia, on the food products. That is a very strong link and a strong synergy. It is something the witnesses have to capitalise on in this case because I believe Bord Bia will be their ally. It certainly has vast budgets for promoting organics and particularly for promoting mushrooms across the world. I thank the witnesses for taking the time to engage with the committee on this very important issue.