2026-04-15

Despite the fact that we are in the middle of a crippling fuel crisis where energy prices remain the highest in the EU, this Government continues to enforce a ban on the commercial sale of turf - our own natural, affordable fuel. As I said recently in my own constituency, there is no better time to reverse this ban. Rural communities in County Offaly and, indeed, across the midlands have relied on turf for generations. It is not just fuel; it is part of our culture and our heritage and for many families, it is the only realistic way to stay warm this winter. The current policy is absurd and self-defeating. We are importing thousands of tonnes of peat and briquettes into this country every year, while at the same time banning Irish people from buying turf. Former Minister Charlie McConalogue previously outlined that 32,000 tonnes of peat were imported into this country in 2022 and, staggeringly, over 30,000 tonnes of this came from Northern Ireland. Therefore, we can ship in peat from the Baltic states and from counties around Belfast, but people cannot buy it from a shop in Banagher or, indeed, sell it. Instead, we criminalise the sale of our own domestic resource. This is economic madness. The contradiction does not stop there. The recently enacted Environment (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2025 and, in particular, the changes to section 99 have made the situation even worse. As I understand it, by expanding regulation to cover past and potential activity, small-scale peat producers operating under 30 ha are now being reclassified as part of larger historic bog areas. As a direct result, most of the remaining domestic suppliers will be pushed over the planning and licensing thresholds and forced to close. This is catastrophic for Irish horticulture. The horticultural sector depends on these small producers for peat. Without them, domestic supply will collapse. Growers will be forced to rely on imported peat that is of inferior quality and it will cost approximately double the price because of transport and supply constraints. That threatens jobs, raises food prices and undermines the viability of Irish food production. Enough is enough. Will the Taoiseach immediately suspend the ban on the commercial sale, advertising and retail of turf so that rural households can access affordable fuel this winter? Will he work with me and, indeed, the small peat producers to introduce a practical, fair and legally robust framework for sub-30 ha operations, including the reintroduction of targeted exemptions so that we can maintain a sustainable domestic peat supply that protects both our environment and the future of Irish horticulture and food production?

I appreciate the Deputy's concern on the issue and thank her for raising it. As she knows, there has been a long-standing policy in terms of peat extraction because of the impacts it has in terms of both biodiversity and climate perspective. In the last iteration of this policy in the previous Government, my understanding was that small and turbary rights domestic users of turf would not in any way be impacted. It is still my view that they are not impacted. I think the Deputy is talking about smaller commercial extractors, or what she would describe as small, which would be 30 ha. That is not quite small. The trajectory of travel has been trying to wean ourselves off commercial extraction of peat. As I said earlier, Bord na Móna has transformed its operations very effectively. I believe we are on the cusp, hopefully, of something significant in Offaly and Laois and the midlands, in particular, around a new form of energy, new types of initiatives and new types of investments that can create jobs in the area. Just as we set up Bord na Móna decades ago when the State needed employment in the midlands, it is our objective that we now reposition Bord na Móna and turn its land and its assets into opportunities for economic development. I have been at a number of investments around the energy field in the area, Shannonbridge on the last occasion, which was quite exciting and interesting. Just transition is there, then, to try to help people who are impacted by the change. I acknowledge that. I will have to engage with the Ministers concerned in light of the points the Deputy has raised and I will try to get a more updated position for her in terms of the detail of the situation.

Go raibh maith agat, a Thaoisigh. I thank the Taoiseach for his response but I feel that a more practical common-sense approach is now needed. The real impact of this ban on the commercial sales of turf is people being cold in their homes. Older people have the ranges and they depend on fossil fuels like turf. When we look at the emissions, we are talking about imports coming in from Baltic states here, which is causing environmental issues. We are talking about a small number of people who want to extract peat and we are talking about our horticultural sector. In Offaly, we have lost too much already. We bore the brunt of the unjust transition, as I would call it. We really bore the brunt of that. We cannot afford to lose one more job, be it in the horticultural sector or any other sector. I ask the Taoiseach to please adopt a common-sense, practical and logical approach because the real impact is not addressing this issue. I feel that we have to allow peat extraction. We have to allow it and we also have to be fair with people in terms of this issue.

As I said, our objective was never to impact on domestic or, indeed, smaller operations involved in peat extraction. The funding for just transition was designed to try to support people who had lost out with the closure of power stations of an older hue, namely peat-fired stations and so on. I will engage with the Minister. I will ask him to perhaps meet the Deputy and see where we can take the issue from that perspective. Notwithstanding all the various policy directions that people have moved in, the Deputy is saying that practicality or pragmatism are in order here. I will engage with the Minister and ask him to engage with the Deputy.