Peat harvesting and jobs
Deputy Carthy says imported peat is the result of an effective ban on domestic harvesting and threatens horticulture jobs. The Taoiseach blames court decisions for the current situation but says he is engaging Ministers to reach an outcome.
I raise the same issue. The scenes of thousands of tonnes of peat being unloaded at Irish docks having travelled the entire way from Latvia rightly caused consternation. This is the result of what is essentially a ban on the harvesting of peat in this country. That ban, if it is not addressed, could cost thousands of jobs in the horticultural and mushroom industries. The Minister of State appointed a working group which provided him with a report four weeks ago. The Minister of State has indicated that this is cross-departmental. Will the Taoiseach ensure first that this report is published so that, for example, the Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine can examine it? Crucially then, if it recommends legislative proposals, will the Taoiseach ensure that each relevant Minister brings that recommendation forward so that we can stop the madness of importing peat and that we can also protect the thousands of jobs that are at stake?
Comment on this
Deputy Carthy has omitted to point to the fact that this went the whole way to the highest court of the land, which took decisions which resulted in the situation that we are in now. Court decisions and litigation have led us to this unsatisfactory situation in respect of the importation of peat. I accept that it does not make any sense on any yardstick that peat should be imported. I have spoken to all the Ministers involved and there will be engagement between all of us, which I will ensure as Taoiseach, and that there is an outcome to this. I am particularly concerned about the horticultural and the mushroom industry, in particular, which is a good industry that employs many people and exports to the UK and other markets.