Irish politician Carol Nolan has called on the Irish government to review recent policy decisions, including a report which highlighted peat use in horticulture.
The Independent TD for Laois-Offaly said that the issues in the Ukraine meant that food security was more important than ever in the country. “We now know, however, that the issue of food security is front and centre in Irish and European policy. This must be reflected in the actions that our government can take immediately and without delay,” she said.
In particular she highlighted the government’s lack of engagement with the Working Group Report on the use of Peat in Horticulture which was published in January. “Before the Ukrainian crisis broke, our own horticulture sector characterised the government response to the report as an economic ‘catastrophe,’” she added. “Those concerns have now been magnified by the clear need to maintain and develop our own indigenous levels of food security and food cultivation.”
The Working Group on the Use of Peat Moss in the Horticultural Industry was established following a series of High Court decisions which determined that large scale peat harvesting requires planning permission and licensing by the Environmental Protection Agency. The Working Group was tasked in particular with examining the potential of alternatives to peat for the horticultural industry.
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