Martin Browne (Tipperary, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I also welcome our guests. Some of them have said that they are conscious of what is going on in the sector and that there is a journey under way. After what we heard at several of our recent meetings and from talking to people in the sector, it does not appear that there is much of a drive going on between the different Departments.

I have some comments and questions. A major factor in this whole mess is timing. The Department has admitted that finding peat-free growing media alternatives is a challenge and that wood production is a particular challenge. The future of the sector is in the hands of the three Departments represented here today, but no workable solution has been forthcoming from any of them regarding the problem this sector faces. The Departments might have all the time in the world to deal with this issue, but the sector does not. The point has often been made, and especially since April, that time is running out fast.

Ultimately, if there is further resistance to reaching a resolution that works for all, then jobs, exports and communities will suffer the consequences. Recent comments from the Minister of State, Senator Hackett, encapsulate the problem. On one hand, she has told us that the harvesting of horticultural peat must stop in favour of alternatives, while, on the other hand, she has also stated that a stockpile of peat can be used during the time while research is being carried out into these alternatives. No one seems to be able to tell us what these alternatives are or if they will even work. This process could take years. We are being told that the stockpile of peat that the Minister of State has spoken about is unsuitable due to its age and that the source will run out at the end of September. That is according to those in the industry.

Meanwhile, the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications seems to be totally resistant to amending the planning rules which could be tweaked to save jobs. The representatives of the industry have proposed the introduction of a fair and workable licensing system, similar to the single consent process that has been in operation elsewhere. It has also been proposed that an interim period be allowed for the phasing out of horticultural peat harvesting over a transitional phase to allow the alternatives to be developed. The sector is involved in trying to devise alternatives to what is being proposed and it is seeking to secure a supply of a growing media up to 2030, which is the period that has been suggested. Can the representatives from each of the Departments outline the obstacles which are delaying this approach for the sector?