Seanad leader Regina Doherty has stated that it is now time for action on the peat crisis, following a recent KPMG report that identified action points for the Irish horticultural sector.
The Opportunities for the Irish horticulture sector report which was published on Wednesday (July 13), was commissioned by the Minister of State with responsibility for horticulture, Pippa Hackett.
It found that while the sector has a farmgate worth of €467 million, it still faces numerous challenge, for which there is “no single solution”.
Senator Doherty welcomed the report, but added that it is now time for the next step: taking action. She said:
“It has been over six months since several government departments and ministers came out with a response and a list of key measures to tackle the crisis in relation to supply of peat for horticultural use.
She added that this working group published a report in January that set out clear recommendations and said that the latest report from KPMG has told “us what we have already known for some time”.
The latter report suggested that mechanisms should be developed “to sustainably use domestic peat supplies, especially in the context of current geopolitical events”.
However, despite this knowledge, the list of recommended measures “has not led to one extra shovel full of peat being extracted to supply the horticultural sector”, according to the Fine Gael senator.
‘”The time for reports, surveys, working groups and ineffective measures has now passed.
“It’s now time for the relevant ministers to draft, debate and enact primary legislation to allow for Irish peat, to be extracted from Irish bogs, to supply the green and sustainable Irish horticultural industry,” Doherty said.
Work is being done to explore more sustainable alternatives to peat for the horticultural industry, but until these options are “widely available, affordable and sustainable, then this industry is in jeopardy”, she added.
“The number one threat in this KPMG report is the need for an adequate supply of domestic peat into the future for growers.”
The leader of the Seanad concluded by stating that she will continue to work with the government and stakeholders in the industry so that growers may have clarity in what the primary raw material for horticultural growers will be.