Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 29 June 2023
368. Deputy Jackie Cahill asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if peat regardless of its depth, which has been drained, reclaimed and farmed for livestock or tillage purposes, either intensively or extensively, can be returned to its undrained, un-reclaimed and undisturbed state; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31876/23]
View answerThe level to which an area of reclaimed peat used for agriculture can be returned, if so desired, to its “undisturbed state” depends on the original state, the level of reclamation, the intensity of management and the length of time since reclamation.
Each environmental element of the land’s original state, such as water quality and biodiversity etc., will have varying degrees of potential for restoration.
By way of example, a drained peat will have continuous high annual levels of CO2 emissions if land is maintained in a dry state. Changing the management and maintaining the high organic matter soil in a permanently moist/wet state will reduce the rate of oxidisation and thus reduce the rate of CO2 emissions.
On these lands the reduction of emissions is the main objective, as carbon sequestration is limited. This contrasts with the restoration of bogs where sequestration may occur on a restored site after an extended period, estimated at around 20 years, depending on site conditions.
There is much uncertainty in the data and knowledge related to peat soils used for agriculture and towards this end I continue to fund, among other initiatives, the National Agricultural Soil Carbon Observatory, which will comprise approximately 30 GHG “Flux Towers” across a range of soil types, the ReWet project led by Teagasc and the University of Galway which is looking at the impact of water table management on carbon rich soils and two locally led European Innovation Partnership (EIP) projects on reduced management intensity of farmed peatlands.
These investments will provide a greater understanding of how to reduce GHG emissions from these soils and manage them more sustainably.
