Fiona O'Loughlin (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister of State for his response. It is good to know the horticulture sector is researching alternatives for peat. While we are waiting for the alternatives to be developed, I ask that people would be able to continue to harvest the peat necessary. It is a concern that the working group has not yet met and a chair of it has not been appointed, but I assume it will start work in 2021, given that the current peat reserves will run out in July.We need to act more quickly and a solution needs to be found as soon as possible and urgently because there is the possibility of major job losses in my county, Kildare, north Dublin and other areas that have traditionally had many nursery growers. We have to put in place anything we can to safeguard the continued operation of the sector. I understand that two statutory instruments have been suggested. They could be a possibility. I ask the Minister of State to consider them again because we all have to protect jobs in the sector. We also have to ensure that proper after-use plans are put in place for the peatlands for the benefit of our future generations. We would all support that. This is about trying to find a compromise to support these 6,000 jobs.