Martin Heydon (Kildare South, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

As a Member of this House from County Kildare, I can assure the Deputy that the importance of the horticulture industry is something of which I am acutely aware. I have worked closely with what is a very strong amenity horticulture sector in my area. We are all aware of the importance of the sector. We should be mindful of the fact that the challenges we face now came about as a result of a recent decision of Bord na Móna to cease harvesting peat earlier. The impact of that on the peat supply has been felt by the industry earlier than had been anticipated.

It is clear there is a need for a short-term solution and a longer-term solution. Indeed, the Deputy has touched upon the point himself. In terms of our role in the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine and my role in the area of research and development, we are working on and investing in research into the longer term solutions. There is a need for short-term solutions, not all of which are within the gift of our Department. We are working very closely with our colleagues in government to find those solutions.

I can reassure the Deputy and am happy to put on the record of the House that nobody wants to see peat being imported into this country. That is why the short-term solutions, with the other Departments and all players and stakeholders in the sector, need to be examined. We look forward to working closely with everybody to ensure that those short-term solutions are found to support what is a really important industry for our agriculture sector.

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