Fiona O'Loughlin (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I fully endorse the call from my colleague, Senator Dooley, for a debate on community employment schemes. Many of them are the heartbeat of our communities, particularly rural communities. They do a great deal such as organising Tidy Towns, Meals on Wheels, etc. We also need to look at the conditions for scheme supervisors. There has been a long-standing call for a pension scheme for them.

The horticultural industry makes a significant contribution to the economy. It adds €497 million per year to the economy with its employment value nearly the same and its annual exports value at €239 million. It is estimated up to 6,600 people work in this industry with another 11,000 jobs supported in ancillary industries. These are the people who grow our strawberries, mushrooms and nursery plants which are sold on a wholesale basis and supplied to others in the industry.

Only 0.4% of total Irish peatlands are used for horticulture peat harvesting. Since June, peatland owners must apply for planning permission and a licence that will take four to six years. Current peat supplies will run out in July 2021. What are people left to do? Kildare Growers, which I met with over the weekend, has the option of bringing in peat from Lithuania and Holland. It will cost four times more than local peat. When we are talking about protecting our environment, importing peat from Holland or Lithuania at four times the price is ridiculous.

Many of these industries may go out of business. In supporting our own food culture and horticulture, it is important that we have a debate on this with both Ministers involved. There are statutory instruments that could be introduced which could help solve the problem.