Dr. Humberto Delgado Rosa:

We can share the studies and the list of references we have used in our impact assessment that pertain to peatland or specifically to Ireland. I do not have them to hand but we can give this committee whatever we have.

On Ireland's situation, Ireland is not the only island nation. Are there island nations with no peatland? The answer is probably "Yes" but I remind the committee that the Netherlands has a huge amount of drained peatland under agricultural use and a good part of its territory beneath sea level. I can understand how rewetting as a concept can look like a threat but I again remind the committee that rewetting seems to be an Irish option on Irish plans for climate and for agriculture, so when we table some rewetting for the nature restoration law, we are not fully innovating. We are adding something coherent with other plans on climate, including those plans Ireland apparently is following. There must be a way to deal with rewetting without putting it at odds with communities and that puts forward the wider benefits for all.