Dimas warns Ireland over peat burning

Ireland must not allow rising energy prices to threaten its remaining peatland habitats, EU environment commissioner Stavros Dimas has warned. In a written response to a question from Irish MEP Jim Higgins, Mr Dimas says the conservation status of Irish peatlands is "particularly alarming" and that peat, which in Ireland is traditionally cut and dried for use as a domestic heating fuel, is not a renewable energy resource. He urges the Irish government to implement "effective management and protection measures" for its peatlands. See parliamentary question.

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