Tim Lombard (Fine Gael)
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I am in the conference centre.

I welcome the contributions, which have been informative and given us a great view of the crisis in the industry. The timelines are frightening. By next September, we could be out of peat, which would have an impact on many parts of the horticulture industry.

We have spoken about the working group and the long-term goal of moving the industry in a slightly different direction, but I am lost as to what is happening in respect of ministerial involvement. This is probably one of the main issues I wish to raise. There was an interdepartmental meeting of three or four senior officials. Is there any knowledge of what happened at that meeting and where the game stands in trying to find a solution? Three Departments have a role in solving this issue. Due to that interdepartmental mix, though, there seems to be little movement. My understanding is that the remaining number of weeks are crucial. It is unfortunate that we do not have officials from all three Departments before us so that we might try to get movement on this. We have to reconsider doing so if possible. I am at a loss as to why the three Departments are not present and why we have not received answers to key questions about the timeline for delivering a suitable short-term plan. From speaking to officials and others over the past 48 hours, the next six weeks will be crucial. There will be a major confidence issue within the industry, due to which the amazing number of people involved in it could be affected. Given that it accounts for 17,000 jobs and more than €500 million, this is a significant issue.

My understanding is that 90% of our peat imports are of water-based materials, so we are effectively paying to import water. Is there a more effective way of importing peat from the Balkans or Poland?

I have more questions than answers, but I hope that we can get some movement in a short time.