20. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the measures being taken to address the reported imminent crisis in the horticultural sector linked to uncertainty over peat supply and regulation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51542/26]

My Department has no remit in the regulation of peat extraction. Anyone wishing to extract peat must comply with the relevant planning and licensing requirements. Nevertheless, I am cognisant of the challenges peat supply and finding a suitable alternative to peat as a growing media is having on the horticulture sector.

With a view to supporting the horticulture sector and exploring solutions to provide a necessary supply of peat to the sector as it transitions away from the use of peat as a growing medium, there has been substantial cross-departmental engagement with the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage (DHLGH) and the Department of Climate, Energy and the Environment (DCEE).

The engagement followed the publication of the Working Paper to address challenges related to peat supply in the horticulture sector in January 2022. My Department committed to a number of actions in the published working paper including procuring expertise to prepare a 'User’s Guide for the regulatory processes (planning and environmental) that apply specifically to peat extraction activity for horticulture purposes on sites of less than 30ha in Ireland’.

My Department also committed to an action to explore the potential of sub 30 hectare peat sites as a source of peat for the horticulture sector. This led to the publication of the ‘Final Report on the assessment of the Levels and Suitability of Current Indigenous Peat Stocks and Identification of Sub-Thirty Hectare Sites and other recommendations to support domestic horticulture industry as it transitions to peat alternatives’[.]

The recommendations in this report were considered cross-Departmentally and as a result my Department is currently engaging with the County and City Management Agency to progress recommendation one in the aforementioned report concerning a pilot scheme with Local Authorities for peat extraction on sub 30 hectare peatlands. The specific objective of this engagement is to try and find a workable and legally compliant solution for the supply of peat for horticulture sector.

Separately, through the EU Producer Organisation Scheme for fruit and vegetables, substantial support has been provided to fund research into peat free alternatives. Financial support has been also been provided for work into peat alternatives through the horticulture grant schemes operated by my Department. My Department is also funding the Beyond Peat project led by Teagasc, which is researching a number of potential peat free alternatives.