John Neenan

This company was funded by the state to set up operations.

I'm saying just because perception changes and reality changes, then a company like this that was grant-aided and held by the state and by the state bank, ICC, to develop the PEAT, to export it to different countries to bring employment to this area, then they should not be held responsible now to go back to that time for doing that.

That's a lot of risk to expose the taxpayer to, isn't it?

It is, but we would say that our industry, we have tried to get this regulated.

In 2021, we implied McCann Fitzgerald solicitors to draw up legislation that could sort out the issue.

We got it into the Shannon, sponsored by Senator Regina Doherty at that time and Robbie Gallagher.

It got a forced reading and then the Tánaiste and Taoiseach asked him to withdraw that.

So we have spent a lot of time, a lot of effort and it's very simple.

I think for the Irish needs, the 600 hectares that are being operated on at the moment is more than sufficient.

This appears to be the general view.

There's massive amounts of investment going in, massive amounts of research.

But at this moment in time, there is not, for some growing media, there is not an alternative to peat.