The horticulture sphere makes a significant donation to the economy with a farm gate note value of almost € 521 million in 2021 . and 17,600 people apply in primary yield , note value added and downstream businesses .

Approximately 60 % of the note value of Irish gardening is presently dependent on peat with the mushroom-shaped cloud , amenity and lenient yield sectors being most reliant . The diligence therefore requires continued access to peat until alternatives are develop . The gardening sector is consecrate to explicate option to peat as a grow medium . Peat should be phase out by 2030 , or by the very latest of 2035 , supply alternate materials are available .

ReportMinister for Agriculture , Food and the Marine , Charlie McConalogue , and Minister of State with duty for Horticulture , Senator Pippa Hackett , and Minister of State Martin Heydon with responsibility for Research and Development denote the publication of tworeports , committed to as part of the department‘s working composition to patronize the domestic gardening sphere who are subject on peat . Seamus Boland of Irish Rural Link was commission by the department to assess the degree and suitableness of current peat stocks and the recognition of possible U-boat 30 hectare site suitable for regulatory compliant abstraction .

In his report entitled ‘ Final Report on the appraisal of the Levels and Suitability of Current Indigenous Peat Stocks and Identification of Sub - Thirty Hectare Sites and other good word to support domesticated gardening diligence as it transitions to peat alternatives ’ , Mr Boland also made a bit of extra recommendations that he felt should be consider in name and address the challenges the horticulture sector is confront . The section also commissioned planning expert , Des Johnson and Padraic Thornton to provide guidance on the regulative process for the extraction of peat on sub 30 - hectare sites . The paper entitled ‘ User ’s templet for the regulative processes ( provision and environmental ) that apply specifically to peat descent activeness for horticultural purposes on land site of less than 30 ha in Ireland ’ builds on the report commission by the Department of the Environment , Climate and Communications and National Parks and Wildlife Service .

Minister McConalogue said:“The gardening sector is a vital one in our overall agri - food manufacture . The sphere produces top lineament food that is delight by masses across the state . The extraction of peat for the Irish professional horticultural manufacture in late years has been challenging from a legal and regulative view . These challenges persist but I give thanks the various experts for the workplace to - particular date . My colleague , Minister Hackett , with verbatim responsibility for the horticulture sector , continues to engage with Ministerial co-worker across Government to concord the next steps in ensuring that there will be an passable supply of peat for the gardening sector in the short - term . It is a key focus of the department and us , as Ministers , to diagram a sustainable and bright future for the growers and the manufacture as a whole . ”

Minister Hackett outlined:“The second account produced by Mr Johnson and Mr Thornton provides regulative direction for those wish to engage with the regulative process for the extraction of peat on hero sandwich 30 - hectare sites . As Minister with responsibility for Horticulture , I recognize the need for the supplying of peat for the domestic horticultural industriousness during the transitionary period to peat - free alternatives . Peat is a finite and precious imagination and there are regulatory processes in place to protect it , therefore I encourage peat extractors to examine the direction and operate fully with the regulatory system in position . ”

Minister Heydon said:“My department continues to support and facilitate inquiry in the development of alternatives to peat for horticulture , and whilst there is right progress these alternatives will take more time to fare to realization and manufacture continues to ask admission to a viable turn medium in the interim to protect line of work and the sector . ”

For more information : Department of Agriculture , Food and the Marinewww.gov.ie

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