Senator Pippa Hackett:

I recognise the huge importance of the mushroom industry here and peat is used as a casing material as part of that. There are efforts within the mushroom industry and with my Department looking at alternatives. It is probably early days in that but two funding research projects are currently commissioned by Ireland's mushroom producer organisation, Commercial Mushroom Producers, CMP, in conjunction with my Department examining the potential scope to, in one instance, recycle mushroom compost as a possible growing substrate within the horticulture sector and a second option looking at the scope to reduce the levels of peat required within mushroom production itself.

As the Deputy said, in the absence of peat from Irish sources, the industry would have to import either from Northern Ireland, Scotland or the Baltic region at considerable cost. I acknowledge that. It is also worth evaluating the amount we actually export from what we extract and I believe there is potential there to retain more for our own domestic use rather than export.

See this speech in context