Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Wednesday, 30 November 2022

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine

Impact of Peat Shortages on the Horticulture Industry: Discussion (Resumed)

Mr. Seamus Boland:

The Deputy has hit the nail on the head. I hope that the three to four-year period does not happen. We were hoping that 12 to 18 months on recommendation 1 would be the maximum time. That is why we looked for a pilot system supported by the Department, local authorities and other stakeholders. In other words, there would be a team effort to get it done as quickly possible. If that is managed, many more of the sites mentioned already could be opened up. That is how we look at it but it needs to be acted on fairly quickly.