Pippa Hackett (Green Party) | Oireachtas source

I thank Senator Carrigy for raising this issue. I apologise that my colleague, the Minister, Deputy Ryan, cannot be here to take the Commencement matter. Senator Carrigy highlighted many of the points in his address. Ireland's peatlands are part of Europe's oldest surviving near natural ecosystems. Due to their conservation value, more than 26,000 ha of raised bogs are protected under the EU habitats directive and national legislation. Some 50 blanket bogs are designated as special areas of conservation.

In their natural state, peatlands provide multiple ecosystems services such as water and air quality improvements, flood attenuation, reduction in biodiversity losses and socioeconomic benefits to local communities. A significant percentage of Ireland's protected bogs, however, have been lost and degraded over the last 30 years due to various pressures and threats, including burning and drainage. Government-supported measures are now under way to halt and reverse this loss of peatlands through sustainable management, rehabilitation and restoration.

The national peatlands strategy, the National Raised Bogs Special Areas of Conservation Management Plan 2017-2022, and Ireland's climate action plan set out measures to support the revitalisation of Ireland's peatlands. Several peatland restoration and rehabilitation initiatives are under way. Funding of €5 million from the carbon tax fund in 2020 enabled the commencement of peatland restoration measures by the National Parks and Wildlife Service on almost 1,900 ha of protected raised bogs in the midland region.

An allocation of funding of €14 million in budget 2021 will assist with the management, conservation and restoration of Ireland's raised bogs and protected peatlands, including restoration measures on a further 2,500 ha of protected raised bog.In addition, the Government through its various Departments and agencies is supporting peatlands rehabilitation and restoration projects in Ireland and across borders. The €5.4 million project, the Living Bog, is co-funded under the EU LIFE programme with €1.35 million provided by the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage. This will enable restoration works over an area of 2,649 ha.

In 2020, Ireland was awarded more than €10 million in grant funding for a new EU LIFE programme funded under the peatlands and people project which aims to engage people with the benefits of peatlands restoration and to realise the power of peatlands to effect positive climate action. Improving the conservation status in the special areas of conservation network of blanket bog and associated habitats is the focus of the EU LIFE programme, funded under the integrated wild Atlantic nature project, currently in the start-up phase. That project area encompasses 35 of the 50 blanket bog special areas of conservation. In November 2020 the Government announced support of up to €108 million for the Bord na Móna scheme on 33,000 ha of decommissioned Bord na Móna peatlands.

The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine announced funding in February for two projects which will focus on finding better ways to manage on-farm drained peat soils in the midlands. The two projects, which secured €2.2 million between them, were selected following an open call under the European innovation partnership initiative. They will be funded under Ireland's rural development programme 2014 to 2021. Coillte Nature also has a project to restore more than 2,000 ha of Atlantic bog.

On the Senator's query on horticultural peat, the Minister of State at the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Deputy Malcolm Noonan, has set up a working group in his Department to examine what alternatives can be used. The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine has also funded research into this area. It is a huge issue and something we have to get right to secure the future of the horticulture sector.

I thank 12-year-old Michael for his letter. This sort of innovation and thinking outside the box on tourism and heritage is very important for the future for the midlands.