Pippa Hackett (Green Party) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Chair and the committee members for the invitation. I am pleased to be here to speak to the committee on this important but difficult matter of horticultural peat. I am joined by my all-woman team of officials that the Chair introduced. I do not know how often this happens here. I thank them for being here.

As Minister with responsibility for horticulture, I want, at the outset, to highlight the importance of the horticultural sector and its significant contribution to the economy. The horticultural sector is the fourth largest sector in agriculture, which is often forgotten, with a farm-gate value of almost €521 million in 2021. An estimated 17,600 people are employed in the sector at both primary and value-added levels. Peat, as we all know, is a finite resource and the horticulture sector acknowledges the need to move away from using peat as a growing medium. I welcome the general agreement by the horticulture industry that the use of peat should be phased out by 2030, or by 2035 at the very latest, provided that alternative materials are available.

The sector is already using alternatives to peat, reducing the amount used and carrying out research into alternatives. However, approximately 60% of the value of Irish horticulture is dependent on peat as a growth medium, with the mushroom, amenity and soft-fruit sectors being most reliant. There is a recognition that a very limited amount of peat is required for a period in certain sectors, in professional horticulture in particular, until affordable, sustainable alternatives that meet quality, environmental and productivity requirements are available.

As the committee is well aware, the extraction of peat for the Irish professional horticultural industry in recent years has been challenging from a legal and regulatory perspective. A series of High Court judgments, beginning in the early 2010s, that dealt with peat extraction and a lack of compliance across the extraction sector have generated supply challenges for the horticulture sector.

As members knows, my Department has no role in the peat extraction regulatory framework and is engaged in trying to identify a supply of peat for the horticulture sector during the transitionary period to peat-free alternatives. While the dual consent regulatory framework provides a route for legally compliant extraction, it is complex. This has resulted in non-engagement by some extractors and frustration among those who have engaged with the process. Peat currently used by industry is both sourced in Ireland and imported. Diminished supplies of peat from existing stockpiles and the costs associated with peat imports increase the challenge for the sector. There are potential concerns for the viability of some in the sector at a time when increases in other input costs, arising from the illegal invasion of Ukraine by Russia, are also having significant impacts. The working paper to address challenges related to peat supply in the horticulture sector was put in place by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, in conjunction with the Department of Environment, Climate and Communications, and the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage. It followed the publication of the final report of the working group on the use of peat moss in the horticulture industry. The paper, published in January of this year, set out a series of actions to address the difficulties being faced by horticultural growers who are dependent on peat as a growing medium. The actions include a range of targeted measures which reflect the multifaceted nature of the problem and the need for short-, medium- and long-term solutions. These actions also include the longer term issue of replacement with alternatives. The ultimate ambition of these actions is to support the horticulture industry, the people employed therein and the many families that depend on this important sector.

Progress has been made in the implementation of these actions. Regarding the short-term actions, a guidance document on the regulatory framework for peat extraction was commissioned by the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications and the National Parks and Wildlife Service. This expert guidance document is publicly available.

Mr. Séamus Boland of Irish Rural Link was commissioned by my Department to carry out the short-term action of identifying the level and suitability of current peat stocks and identification of potential sub-30 ha sites. A final report on the assessment of the levels and suitability of current indigenous peat stocks, identification of sub-30 ha sites and other recommendations to support domestic horticulture industry as it transitions to peat alternatives will be published shortly after this committee meeting. Mr. Boland was unable to get accurate information on peat supplies or suitable sub-30 ha sites due to lack of engagement from relevant stakeholders. Nevertheless, he made a number of recommendations which are being considered across Government.

In addressing the medium-term actions a working paper produced by Des Johnson and Padraic Thornton. They were also commissioned by my Department. This working paper is to provide a guide to those wishing to achieve regulatory compliance for extraction of horticultural peat on sub-30 ha bogs. The users guide for planning and environmental regulatory processes, that applies specifically to peat extraction activity for horticulture purposes on sites of less than 30 ha in Ireland will also be published later today. Concerns have been expressed that the current legal framework is complex, which may have contributed to a lack of engagement by some players. The guide produced by Mr. Johnson and Mr. Thornton, together with earlier guidance, should assist stakeholders wishing to become legally compliant, and all stakeholders are encouraged to engage with the regulatory framework in place.

Looking to the longer term, my Department continues to support and facilitate research in the development of alternatives to peat for horticulture. It awarded €1.69 million to a research project called Beyond Peat, with a project start date of 1 February 2022. The project is co-ordinated by the Teagasc horticultural development department, with project partners from the Technological University of the Shannon, University College Cork, University College Dublin, University of Limerick and the Agri-Food and Biosciences Institute in Northern Ireland. The project aims to identify full and partial replacements for peat within professional horticulture, preferably with materials sourced in Ireland. The project is progressing well and is scheduled to run from 2022 to 2027. Different materials are being investigated for their suitability and availability. My Department has separately provided significant funding for research projects on peat alternatives under the EU producer organisation scheme for fruit and vegetables implemented by officials in the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine. Trials at semi-commercial level are ongoing and the results are promising. It appears that a substantial reduction in peat usage for casing in the mushroom industry may be achievable.

I am acutely aware of the difficulties associated with peat supply in the horticulture sector. I am also acutely aware of the impact this issue is having on many farm families and businesses that are the bed rock of this valuable sector. I assure the committee that the Government has worked as a priority to address the actions in the working paper and address challenges related to peat supply in the horticulture sector. Industry too must play its part and we must work together to ensure a supply of peat is available for the horticulture sector until alternatives are widely available. My Department will continue to engage across Government and continues to work closely with the sector to assist in the transition to peat-free alternatives. I thank members for the opportunity to address the committee and I am happy to take any questions and to tease out these issues further.