Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (Senator Pippa Hackett):

On 17 January this year, my Department, in conjunction with the Departments of the Environment, Climate and Communications and Housing, Local Government and Heritage, set out a working paper to put in place a series of actions to support the horticultural growers who are dependent on peat as a growing medium.

Part of this series of actions includes the commissioning of an independent expert who will work with all peat suppliers to ascertain the volume of horticultural peat stocks available to growers. This is a key action in that working paper.

A second key action that was announced was the commissioning of experts to provide focussed regulatory guidance on planning to assist those wishing to extract peat in the medium term for horticulture growers. This expert guidance will provide a valuable resource to those seeking legal compliance for abstraction.

I acutely understand the importance of delivering these actions quickly. The industry is under pressure in this regard and we are working as quickly as possible to assist it in any and all ways we can.

As the Deputy can appreciate, there are procedures and protocols to be adhered to as part of the process of commissioning such experts. My Department is currently engaged in this process with a view to having the services of these experts available as soon as possible.

See this speech in context