Aontú has called on the government to take action over the worsening peat crisis which the party said is putting the 2022 growing season in jeopardy.

The recently published final report of the Working Group on the Use of Peat Moss in the Horticultural Industry stated that use should be phased out by 2035 at the latest, provided that alternative materials are available.

Aontú leader and Meath TD, Peadar Tóibín stated: “I have met with representatives of the Irish horticultural industry. They are deeply concerned at the gathering perfect storm within their sector.

“So serious is the crisis that the growing season of 2022 is in doubt. This in itself will add to the inflation pressures for families ion the shops.

“The ban of peat harvesting, the cost of imported peat from Eastern Europe and the increased transportation costs, are hammering the sector,” he added.

The deputy said that many businesses are fighting for survival and as a result are shedding jobs in rural areas where jobs are in short supply.

“Most in the sector are aghast at the complete inaction of the government,” he said.

Government action on peat crisis

Aontú claimed that the findings of the Working Group on the Use of Peat Moss in the Horticultural Industry have been ignored.

“The ‘Just Transition’ exists only in the rhetoric of the government. Its completely absent on the ground,” Toibín said.

He said that proposals for an adequate phasing out period have been ignored.

“Available peat from Bord na Móna is not sufficient for one month of production, never mind the whole year,” the Aontú leader said.

“What we are dealing with here is ideological naivety from the Greens and a total lack of practical realism.

“Eastern European peat has higher CO2 impact when you include transportation emissions. Peat substitution materials are not of the standard yet to do the jobs. We need real action now,” he concluded.

In response to the working group report, the government announced a series of actions which include an independent expert to determine Irish peat stocks and the commissioning of experts to provide free advice to those wanting to extract from bogs below 30ha.