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THE LAST-MINUTE delay of a much-awaited report into alternatives to peat in Ireland has been described as “very concerning”.
Sinn Féin TD Matt Carthy said it was deeply worrying that the report, initially scheduled for publication by the end of September, had been pushed back.
Members of the horticulture industry are among those waiting to hear the findings of the report by a working group on horticultural peat, which was created earlier this year.
Junior minister Malcolm Noonan, who has responsibility for the issue in the Department of Housing, told Carthy in a Dáil written answer this week that the report would be published by the end of September.
“I understand that the final report is to be completed and sent to me by the end of September 2021. The report is expected to identify possible alternatives to peat and to outline the research required to produce commercially effective alternatives for the horticulture sector,” Noonan told the Sinn Féin TD.
However, a spokesperson for the Department of Housing confirmed to the PA news agency that the report had not been completed by the end of last month.
“The chair of the working group has indicated to the minister that the final report is at an advanced stage and will be provided to him before the end of October,” the spokesperson said.
“The brief extension was granted by Minister Noonan following a request by the chair, who informed him that the group needed more time to finalise the report.”
Led by independent chair Dr Munoo Prasad, the working group has been charged with examining the current challenges facing the horticultural industry following Ireland’s decision to end peat production.
The decision has been questioned by the horticulture and mushroom industry, which has queried why Ireland is now having to import peat.
The working group, which has held 11 meetings so far, is primarily considering any alternatives to peat.
Carthy told PA: “It is very concerning that the working group report has been delayed.”
He questioned why the report’s publication had been “pushed back a month without explanation”.
“We have seen shipments arriving into Ireland with 4,000 tonnes of peat, after taking on a 3,000 kilometre sea journey,” he said.
“It’s clearly environmental and economic lunacy and therefore there needs to be urgent Government action to resolve it.”
He also asked why two different dates for the report’s publication had been provided in a matter of days.
“It seems there is no sense of urgency,” he said.
“I have great fears for the mushroom industry, because there is no realistic alternative at present.”
“In the absence of that, only two things can happen. Either peat will be imported or the mushroom sector will be exported.”
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Horrendous act of pure evil. With guns available so readily any person with a grievance or psychotic motive can commit a mass murder at any time, anywhere.
5th a mass KILLING this year alone, it’s 23 January. That’s a mass shooting every 4 days or so.
There’s actually been 33 Mass Shootings in January – That’s almost 1.5 mass shootings per day!
Any other country experiences a mass shooting and the next day they are putting into place stricter gun controls. Not America, they want to put guns in everyones hands to protect others against a mass shooter… what a weird way of thinking…
‘Murica.
@Rafa Condron: they live in different world over there.
So sad to think of all the needless deaths and suffering. I am not sure that gun control would even be enough – but it might be a start. However, something in the US physic seems to create an element of self entitlement which manifests in many ways and not just in mass shootings. Still we hope and pray.
National Rifle Association – I hope you’re happy. As long as you resist reasonable legislation to curb gun control, these events will continue.
No doubt more weapons would sort out this type of problem, maybe even a few tanks. Yeah, let them have tanks. Freeeedoom!
There are more guns than people in the US. Literally.
@Bert Carolan: I can’t remember the exact statistic, but it would take an incredible amount of time to decommission all the guns owned in America. I think it was beyond decades and into hundreds of years. The logistics that would be involved are staggering.
The article states this is the fifth mass shooting of 2023. However, according to CNN who reference Gun Violence Archive this is in fact number 33.
https://amp.cnn.com/cnn/2023/01/23/politics/mass-shootings-in-2023-what-matters/index.html
@Steve: 5th mass killing. There have been of course 33 mass shootings as I said in the comments already.
Not a bit surprised. It’s the norm in Amercia to go around shooting people.
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