Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal East, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Enforcement of that is a matter for local authorities. The EPA was very clear in what it said about what it perceives to be a lack of enforcement at local authority level. What I have done is write to the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Deputy James Browne, to ask him to engage with the local authorities in question that are subject to the EPA report. Government has been very clear regarding to who can extract peat for their own use and who cannot. Commercial operations like this are not permitted but enforcement is a matter for local authorities.