Matt Carthy (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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234. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the intended timelines with regard to the publication of expert guidance on the regulation of peat extraction in the State; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4496/22]

Ossian Smyth (Dún Laoghaire, Green Party)
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The guidance referred to was commissioned by my Department and the National Parks and Wildlife Service and relates to the regulatory framework (primarily that aspect which relates to the planning system) which applies to peat extraction at the time of publication.

The guidance was published on 17 January 2022 and is available here www.gov.ie/en/publication/d7651-the-regulatory-framework-applying-to-peat-extraction-a-guidance-document/.

Matt Carthy (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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235. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment if he has had engagements with Bord na Móna on the provision of access to extraction equipment or mixing plant to the commercial peat extraction for the horticultural use sector in the State; the timeline for implementing same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4497/22]

Ossian Smyth (Dún Laoghaire, Green Party)
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I take it that the question refers to actions included in the Working Paper to Address Challenges Related to Peat Supply in the Horticulture Sector, recently published by the Department of Agriculture, Food and Marine.

That Working Paper was prepared by officials from the Department of Agriculture, Food and Marine, the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, and my Department. As part of that process, officials from my Department and the Department of Agriculture, Food and Marine engaged with Bord na Mona in relation to the proposed actions relevant to the Company.

Oversight of the implementation of the actions included in the Working Paper is a matter for the Department of Agriculture, Food and Marine.