17,000 jobs in rural Ireland “remain at risk”, the group representing horticultural peat producers has warned.

Growing Media Ireland (GMI) today expressed its “huge disappointment and frustration” upon hearing the recommendations of the Departments of Environment, Agricultural and Housing at the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine this week.

GMI notes that these recommendations focus on the “widespread importation of peat into Ireland, access to a stockpile of peat unsuitable for mushroom growing and allowing some restricted small-scale harvesting” as their solution to the impending national shortage of horticultural peat.

Speaking today (Wednesday, July 21) following a meeting of the Oireachtas committee yesterday afternoon with officials from the departments, John Neenan, chairman of GMI, said:

“Our members are hugely concerned with the recommendations set out by the three departments tasked with solving Ireland’s horticultural peat sector crisis that is placing 17,000 jobs in rural Ireland at immediate risk.”

“Peat importation is the central aspect of the solution being considered – despite the fact no department has assessed the environmental impact of peat harvesting in the countries from which this peat will have to be imported, nor the environmental impact of transporting the peat to Ireland for use here.

“The suggestion of providing access to stockpiles of peat harvested several years ago that is totally unsuitable for crops such as mushrooms, and permitting limited, small-scale harvesting, will be completely insufficient in meeting demand for horticultural peat.”

Warning that the “only result” of this approach will be a “widespread national shortage of horticultural” peat by September and subsequent jobs losses across the midlands and west regions, Neenan said:

“We fully support the call from members the Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture to request the ministers who will make the key decisions to appear before the committee over the coming weeks, to continue to find a viable way forward for our sector.

“We firmly believe the only workable solution is an immediate lifting of restrictions on peat harvesting for 2021 to avoid a shortage this year and in 2022,” he stressed.

According to GMI, Ireland’s horticultural peat sector has experienced “extreme challenges” over the past 22 months, following a September 2019 High Court ruling that means harvesting of peat from Irish bogs greater than 30ha requires navigating a complex licencing and planning regime.

This has resulted in horticultural peat harvesting on Irish bogs all but ceasing, while current reserve supplies will be exhausted by September, the group maintains.