Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

I rarely disagree with Deputy Kenny. I find that he speaks a great deal of sense in this House. However, in this instance, I have to disagree with him. In this instance, we have seen the benefits of a judicial review process, which pointed out that what we were doing was completely illegal. I do not believe any attempt to change legislation that would unwind our commitments under the European directives would be appropriate. We would find ourselves straight back in the European Court of Justice, and rightly so. People would say that Ireland cannot try to work around environmental protection by setting up legislation which is not in compliance with European law. I believe we are far better than that. I do not believe it will take six years, but it is appropriate. Everyone recognises now that we will have to go through the dual consenting process and that we will have to do it properly. I believe we will be able to find peat for our horticultural industry. We will not be able to find it for the massive exporting of peat, which has been going on in an unregulated and, effectively, illegal manner. That has to stop.

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