Ms Louise Byrne:

I thank the Senator. We have provided support through the producer organisation scheme to CMP, Commercial Mushroom Producers. It is carrying out that research, which is progressing well. It has moved from shelf to house trials. It is a business competing against competitors. They are making good progress. Any work on peat alternatives requires significant management. They are trialling different templates for that management. Progress is being made, but the reality is that members of that PO submitted their funding to that research, so they are part-supporting that research - it is commercially sensitive. Nevertheless, we are supportive of this work and continue to support Commercial Mushroom Producers to engage in that research. My colleague, Ms Fay, will go into more detail on the research Teagasc has been funded to do for the Beyond Peat project. She has been engaging with Mr. Michael Gaffney, the lead researcher on that.