Labour demands answers on illegal peat extraction scandal
Labour demands answers on illegal peat extraction scandal - The Labour Party
- Councils must explain failure to the Oireachtas
Labour’s Climate Spokesperson Ciarán Ahern TD has today called for an urgent hearing of the Oireachtas Committee on Environment and Climate Action to summon local authorities over the findings of a damning new EPA report into large-scale illegal peat extraction. The report investigated 38 sites across seven counties where commercial peat extraction is taking place without planning permission or EPA licensing, causing catastrophic environmental damage. Deputy Ahern has said it is a scandal that demands immediate action.
Deputy Ahern said:
“This EPA report is nothing short of shocking.Illegal peat extraction is happening in plain sight, without oversight, and with devastating consequences for our natural environment. These sites are ripping apart boglands—our natural carbon sinks—and destroying habitats that are vital for biodiversity, heritage, and climate research. At a time when Ireland should be leading the way on climate action, this is an appalling dereliction of duty.
“The EPA has rightly moved to prosecute and shut down several of these operations. But we now know that other operators are deliberately avoiding enforcement by reducing their footprint to below 50 hectares. This loophole pushes responsibility onto local authorities, and frankly, many have failed to act.
“How has this been allowed to happen? Where is the oversight? The public deserves to know why these destructive practices have continued unchecked. This is not just a bureaucratic oversight—it’s an environmental crisis.
“We are talking about damage that will take generations to undo. The fact that these activities are continuing without planning or environmental consent in 2025 is a disgrace. Councils must be held accountable. They must come before the Oireachtas Committee and explain what enforcement action, if any, they have taken.”