Matt Carthy (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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86. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the measures he has put in place to facilitate the harvesting of horticultural peat in 2021 and 2022. [23025/21]

Malcolm Noonan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Green Party)
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I have neither statutory nor Ministerial responsibility for the harvesting of peat for use in horticulture. However, to assist in addressing the question of horticultural peat extraction, in particular, for use within the horticultural sector in Ireland, I established a working group under an independent chairman, Dr. Munoo Prasad, to examine the issues which had been identified during the Review of the use of Peat Moss in the Horticultural Industry. The working group is comprised of representatives of the relevant Government Departments, State Bodies, Environmental Non-Governmental Organisations and of various sectors within the horticultural industry.

It is envisaged that the recommendations of the chairman will be issued to me within 6 months of the establishment of the working group (around September 2021).

The working group has already held a number of meetings. The legislative provisions in relation to horticultural peat extraction and the potential of alternatives to the use of peat moss in the horticultural industry have been discussed at these meetings.

A draft interim report of the chairman is under consideration within the working group.