Teagasc education courses and the rewetting of peatland – and its impact on surrounding farmland – are set to go under the spotlight of the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Agriculture and the Marine later today (Tuesday, May 25).

In a brief outline ahead of the meeting, the committee says it will resume its discussion “on the rewetting of peatland and the impact on drainage for surrounding farmland; and Teagasc education courses at today’s meeting.

Scheduled to kick off at 3:30pm this evening, today’s meeting will be split into two sessions:

  • Session 1 – (3:30 – 4:30pm): Rewetting of peatland and the impact on drainage for surrounding farmland (resumed) with officials from the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage; and
  • Session 2 – (4:30pm – 5:30pm) – Teagasc education courses with representatives from Teagasc.

The meeting at 3:30pm will be broadcast from Committee Room 3 of Leinster House.

Speaking in advance of the meeting, committee chairman Jackie Cahill said:

“At previous meetings, the committee learned that the process behind the rewetting of peatland can be a precarious process – a lot of variables play a part in discovering the right level of water for the rewetting of peatland.

Careful consideration is needed by all involved so that farmers and their livelihoods are not affected by possible flooding. A robust discussion is needed on this whole area and we welcome that opportunity [today] with the representatives.

The chairman added: “We have recently seen that farmers are leaders in areas such as farm plastics.

“But we all know education is key when it comes to change. New skills and further education will help the future of farming to thrive. The Committee looks forward to an update on educational offerings from Teagasc.”

The Joint Committee on Agriculture and the Marine has 14 members, nine from the Dáil and five from the Seanad.

For those interested, the meeting can be followed on the Oireachtas website here.