Peat report branded a ‘complete failure’ amid ‘withheld information’ from claims industry

Irish Rural Link’s Seamus Boland, author of the report, said mapping such potential bogs of less than 30 hectares in size could not be done due to “nervousness” and “fear” expressed by stakeholders at the disclosure of site-specific information. not be carried out.

“Due to the complex challenges associated with the peat industry, such as ownership, peat rights, peat quality, etc., suitable peat sites smaller than 30 ha in size have not been found.

“The current climate, which has led to suspicious attitudes from all parties, has resulted in a lack of commitment from peat extraction stakeholders and the domestic horticultural industry and has therefore made it impossible to obtain figures on the number of peat sites currently being actively harvested Amount of materials stored and material suitability or locations.

“Every effort has been made to obtain this information by conducting in-depth interviews, distributing an anonymous survey of representative parties to stakeholders, conducting a desktop study and extensively examining online resources.

“The industry has not provided any information on the amount of peat currently stored and the location of these deposits.

“The industry has also withheld information on the origin of the peat currently being supplied to stakeholders, the number and size of peat sites they own, the level of degradation on the sites, and any other information requested.”

The report makes three recommendations to help contain the crisis: the development of community pilot projects to help planners process applications for peat extraction; for the mushroom industry to use peat stored in sand and gravel quarries; and that some quarrying is permitted in a Bord na Móna bog until an affordable alternative is found.

John Neenan of Growing Media Ireland (GMI), the representative group for most peat and growing medium producers in Ireland, said the report “missed completely” while noting “a number of inaccuracies and misleading statements”.

“We are very disappointed in this report prepared for the Department as it lists a number of critically weak recommendations on how the industry can move forward and also makes numerous inaccurate statements about those involved in providing information.

“GMI and its members have worked fully and fully with Irish Rural Link throughout the process and have provided all available information. Where information was not available from GMI and its members, GMI notified Irish Rural Link before the report was prepared.

“The Irish horticulture sector remains in crisis, with more than 17,000 jobs across the country at risk.”

To ensure an adequate supply of Irish horticultural peat to the market, GMI says: “Peat areas below 30ha must be treated as a single bog and must not be amalgamated with other areas of the same property.

“Where a pre-existing peat production site exceeds 30ha, an area of ​​less than 30ha should be permitted for garden peat harvesting, provided the remainder of the area is adequately isolated and earmarked for remediation and restoration or some other environmentally sound activity.”