27 January 2021 If you’ve got a hawk-eye watch on climate news, you probably heard about Bord na Móna’s game-changing announcement earlier this month. But just in case you missed it, we’ll catch you up. Bord na Móna have officially ended peat extraction on their own land. The semi-state body Read more…
July 25th, 2019 The European Commission is taking action against Ireland for a continued failure to ensure that peat extraction is properly assessed for environmental impacts as required under EU law. In its latest package of infringement decisions, the Commission said that it is pursuing Ireland for failing to fully Read more…
February 6th, 2019 Conservation measures to protect Ireland’s unique peatlands over the past three decades have been a “colossal failure”, an Oireachtas committee heard today. The stark warning from Padraig Fogarty of the Irish Wildlife Trust came during a hearing of the heritage committee on the preservation of biodiversity of Read more…
February 6th, 2019 The Government’s decision to remove large-scale peat extraction from the planning system offers a “’free pass” for peat companies to continue unauthorised extraction across the country, environmentalists have warned. On 25 January, the Minister for Planning Eoghan Murphy TD published new regulations to exempt peat extraction of Read more…
November 22nd, 2018 The High Court has adjourned injunction proceedings brought by the Environmental Protection Agency to halt unlicensed peat extraction at a Co Westmeath bog until at least March 2019. The environmental watchdog was seeking the injunction following the discovery in September 2018 that Harte Peat is extracting wet Read more…
November 14th, 2018 An Environmental Protection Agency inspector was “appalled” upon discovering the extraction of wet peat up to five meters deep at an unlicensed Co Westmeath site, the High Court heard yesterday. The environmental watchdog is seeking an interlocutory injunction to prevent Harte Peat from extracting peat from the Read more…
27th, September 2018 An environmental group has called on to the Minister for Agriculture to exercise his powers to tell Teagasc to “refrain” from providing advice on the use of peat for animal bedding. As well as being used for electricity generation, domestic fuel and in horticulture, peat can act Read more…
September 17th, 2018 One of Ireland’s largest peat harvesting companies stands accused of the unlicensed stripping of peat from a bog at a site in Co Westmeath currently subject to court proceedings. According to Friends of the Irish Environment (FiE), Harte Peat has been excavating wet peat at an alarming Read more…
November 8th, 2017 Bord na Móna (BNM) transport workers have voted unanimously for an all-out strike in opposition to an alleged attempt by management to outsource jobs to a private contractor. The workers came to the decision at a general meeting held yesterday at the offices of the Services Industrial Professional and Technical Read more…
November 5th, 2017 The Citizens’ Assembly voted this afternoon in favour of a radical overhaul in how the Irish State tackles climate change. Following two weekends of deliberation, the Assembly voted for recommendations such as the establishment of a carbon tax on agricultural emissions, the phasing out of peat subsidies and Read more…
