Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 2 December 2021
8. Deputy Jennifer Whitmore asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications if he will provide a list of current drainage operations on Bord na Móna peatlands; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [59595/21]
View answerThe Government approved funding of €108 million for Bord na Móna’s large-scale peatlands restoration project to rehabilitate 33,000 hectares of peatlands under the Enhanced Decommissioning, Rehabilitation and Restoration Scheme (EDRRS). The Scheme has resulted in Bord na Móna reassigning employees from peat harvesting activities into rehabilitation operations, while supporting the natural environment and biodiversity of the peatlands. It is estimated that over the period to 2050, 3.2 million tonnes of CO2 emissions will be avoided (including an amount of future carbon sequestration), in comparison to a standard rehabilitation scenario. Rehabilitation, which includes water management operations under the EDRRS, has commenced on 18 bogs. In addition, the National Parks and Wildlife Service of the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage is currently undertaking a programme to restore Ireland’s raised bog Special Areas of Conservation and Natural Heritage Areas, a key action of the National Raised Bog Special Areas of Conservation Management Plan 2017-2022. Given the extensive land and water management operations undertaken by Bord na Móna on some 79,300 hectares of peatlands across the country, I have asked the Company to provide the further detailed information directly to the Deputy.
