Bernard J. Durkan
Ceist:131 Mr. Durkan asked the Minister for Public Enterprise the position in relation to peat resources; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22131/98]
Written Answers. - Peat Resources.
Peatlands account for approximately 11,757 square kilometres or 17.2 per cent of the land area of the Republic of Ireland. Irish peatlands generally fall into three principal types: raised bogs, blanket bogs, and fens.
Raised bogs occur extensively across the central midland plain. Blanket bogs are found along the western seaboard, and also on higher hills and mountain areas. Fens occur in river valleys and floodplains, often in close association with raised bogs.
Bord na Móna owns 83,000 hectares of bog in Ireland or 7 per cent of the peatland mass which is suitable for development.
Bord na Móna currently supplies approximately three million tonnes of milled peat to ESB for electricity generation. This is expected to rise to around 3.9 million tonnes for a short period in the early years of the next decade when the new 120MW peat plant at Edenderry comes on stream. The board currently also produces around one million tonnes of milled peat annually for its horticulture and briquette businesses.
Based on existing and foreseeable rates of extraction, the remaining peat reserves of Bord na Móna are estimated by the board to be sufficient for another 30 to 40 years.
Definitive figures for private peat production are not available but it is estimated that between 1.2 and 1.5 million tonnes of sod turf are now produced annually.