Matt Carthy (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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836. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine further to Parliamentary Question No. 835 of 1 February 2022, if he or his colleagues in have had engagements with Bord na Móna with regard to provision of access to extraction equipment or mixing plant to the commercial peat extraction for horticultural use sector in the State; the timeline for implementing same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6657/22]

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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My Department along with the Department of Environment, Climate and Communications met with Bord na Mona on 10^thDecember last year. The meeting discussed how Bord na Móna could assist in alleviating the current situation that the Irish horticultural industry find itself in with regard to the supply of peat including access to Bord na Móna’s mixing plant and equipment.

Bord na Móna indicated a willingness to assist in the process. However, Bord na Móna also confirmed that it would not recommence peat harvesting and would not divest lands for private abstraction. Bord na Móna indicated availability of approximately 2000 tons of horticultural grade peat and potentially significantly higher volume of hobby grade peat which may or may not be deemed suitable for the horticulture industry.