Seán Kyne (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I will take six minutes, if that is okay.

I would like to acknowledge the work by Senators Doherty and Gallagher on this important legislation. The purpose of any Second Stage debate is to do just that - to debate and to put forward facts, to put forward alternative facts, if one can use that phrase, to dispute items and to put forward concerns people have regarding the legislation. It is important to put that on the record.

On where we are, I will make a few points and the Minister of State might be able to confirm them or comment on them. Could he confirm that there are no viable alternative mediums to peat for the horticultural sector that have proved to be available, affordable, sustainable and meet quality as well as environmental requirements? Also, 0.12% of Irish peatlands is required for peat extraction for the purposes of horticulture. That is what this is about. This is not about large-scale extraction. This is about what we can do to support an industry that is hugely important for food production and has a valuable role to play in employment as well. As has been said, the Bill will reinstate for a temporary period the exemption from the Planning and Development (Amendment) Act 2021 for peat extraction for the purposes of horticulture.

It has been reported that the Bill is incompatible with EU law. Is it the Bill that is incompatible, or is it the practice of extraction that is incompatible? If it is the Bill, that is one thing. However, if the practice is incompatible with EU law, how then is the harvesting of peat in the Baltic states, which is brought to Ireland, compatible with the same EU law, considering they are EU member states? We, in government - I am sure the Opposition is doing so as well - are trying to convince everyone in society that climate change is real and that we need to change. We are trying to bring people, in particular, farmers, with us. How can we convince them that transporting peat from halfway around the world to Ireland is a good thing? How does that make sense if we are trying to convince a farmer to plant trees? The farmers will say, “You want me to plant trees and you are importing peat from halfway around the world”. I accept there are issues around why the horticulture sector cannot source peat here. That is a valid question. If it was able to source peat here, we would not be here debating this Bill. That is a valid question and it needs to be answered. In the absence of being able to source peat here, it is being brought in from other EU member states and from Asia. That just does not make sense. As I said, it creates so many issues with the message that we have to send to farmers and everyone else about the things they need to do. I am sure the Minister of State sees where we are coming from. I appreciate the Minister of State will have issues with other aspects but that is the principle here.

The Minister of State may go to an IFA meeting with farmers and tell them that they need to do X, Y, or Z in terms of planting, habitats and reductions in nitrogen. This is all worthy stuff, which we have supported. However, they will throw it back and say “Yes, but you are importing peat and are stopping Irish lads cutting turf." That is what is being thrown back at us. Those are the difficulties we face.

There has always been a debate in this country about the ordinary turf cutter. Many of us have done this, including my uncle, although he is not in the position to do it anymore. He cut a few hoppers of turf. There has always been that debate between those small-scale harvesters, if you like, and the Bord na Mónas. I had many a debate with Senator Higgins in my previous role in the then Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, on behalf of then Minister, Deputy Madigan.I understand that the wildlife legislation is still with the Department and may reappear. That remains to be seen. That is central to the debate. It is about designating some of those State-owned lands, protecting them and ensuring that they are not harvested, and allowing some of the smaller farmers to complete the harvesting on some of their bogs, which have been damaged. That is what that Bill is about. There is a larger issue here regarding harvesting, turf and peat but this Bill is about protecting one sector.

If there is another method of ensuring that peat is sourced in this country for the horticulture sector, rather than the ethos of this Bill, then that needs to be looked at. If there is a reason why the horticultural sector cannot get it, such as quality, it needs to be addressed. If large-scale suppliers are not providing to the horticulture sector for price reasons, then that has to be debated. Either way, we need to ensure that the growing media that they need are available in the short term, until research provides new media of growth for the mushroom and horticulture sectors. That is what this Bill attempts to do.