The end of the peat briquette marks a “very sad and dark day” according to Kerry TD Michael Healy-Rae.
Bord na Móna has confirmed that it has stopped peat harvesting for good, with the peat briquette to disappear from stores as soon as stock runs out.
The company took the decision as part of its Brown to Green strategy, which will end fossil fuel use and focus on renewable energy.
On Newstalk Breakfast this morning, Kerry TD Michael Healy Rae claimed the move will increase the risk of fuel poverty around the country.
“Fuel poverty is something real, it exists and affects thousands and thousands of households every week,” he said.
“I am speaking up for people who are worried about how they are going to heat their homes and how they are going to stay warm.”
Fuel poverty
He said increases in the cost of energy over the past 15 years mean people may not be able to afford to heat their homes without briquettes.
“We have to allow people to be able to keep warm,” he said. “Heat, water and light, these are basic necessities people need to live.
“I just believe that in the future, we will look back at this and say, ‘why didn’t someone speak up for common sense? Why didn’t somebody say how are we to stay warm?’”
Brown to Green
Bord na Móna has said it is now “in the business of climate action,” with over 80% of its income and employment to come from green businesses by 2025.
The company has pledged huge investment in in renewable energy and recycling in the coming years.
The end of peat harvesting also has implications for gardening and horticulture as peat is used in compost products.
Horticulture
Deputy Healy-Rae said the horticulture industry has been “completely thrown to the wolves.”
“They might think they are solving one problem but they are creating another massive problem,” he said.
“Think now first about horticulture. We have many, many people working in that industry in Ireland today. One of the things they need is compost.
“They are going to be faced with a situation where they are going to have to go abroad and for instance, it might be from the Baltic region, they will be importing compost.
It will have to come in through the UK so can you imagine the massive damage to the environment by importing that material that distance to then use here and then export back out of the country again – and us having an endless and valuable supply of it here ourselves already.”
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