Minister flanagan opens conference on peatlands offaly

Laois/Offaly TD and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, Charlie Flanagan, opened an International Peat Society conference in the Tullamore today.

The four day conference entitled ‘Peatlands-A New Conversation’ has attracted over 120 delegates from around the world.  

Speaking at the opening, Minister Flanagan said “peat and peatlands are hugely important for all sorts of reasons – as ecosystem, as habitat and as resource. Our peatlands are also a source of artistic inspiration. Our bogs have touched Irish imagination and sentiment; they influenced our literature, coloured our poetry and called across the seas to our emigrants.”

Minister Flanagan described the story of Bord na Móna as “a great example of what can be achieved in regional development.' The company, he said, was the foundation upon which the local economy was built.

“Ireland is committed to playing its part in safeguarding Europe’s fragile natural resources and addressing the major environmental challenges faced by mankind. Where domestic turf cutters are exercising traditional rights in designated areas, we have established a scheme of compensation to encourage cessation of cutting. There is also a relocation project designed to find new sites for private turf cutters who have relocated from designated bogs,” Minister Flanagan remarked.

He believes “the key challenge for Ireland is to ensure successful conservation and restoration of our most valuable areas of peatland, while permitting some continued exploitation of peatlands of lesser ecological significance.”  

Minister Flanagan feels the conference will provide an opportunity to debate the issues. “From wise use to responsible use, from sustainability to eco-system services, the many and varied perspectives and viewpoints will be asked to come together to have a real conversation about the way forward,” he said.