Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Wednesday, 12 October 2022

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine

Impact of Peat Shortages on the Horticulture Industry: Discussion (Resumed)

Mr. Mel O'Rourke:

It should not be about importing peat. We have the best quality peat in the world in Ireland to do the job that we want done. All we need is for regulations to be put in place so that we can comply with them. When we retail mushrooms in the UK, retailers ask whether we are fully compliant. We have to show them that we are compliant with Bord Bia's requirements and so on. One of the risks to our business is that those retailers will tell us that the peat is not being harvested legally. That thought keeps us awake at night. Peat is available, but it is not being legally harvested. It will take Government legislation to make it legal and for us to comply with the requirements of the marketplace.

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