The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is investigating 38 large-scale operations across seven counties where illegal peat extraction is taking place.
The large-scale illegal commercial extraction of peat is widespread in Ireland, it said in a new report on illegal peat extraction for 2025.
The EPA said it has investigated 38 sites across seven counties – Offaly, Kildare, Tipperary, Westmeath, Roscommon, Longford and Sligo – where large-scale commercial peat extraction is being carried out without any of the necessary authorisations from the local authorities.
These illegal operations are contributing to an export trade of 300,000t of peat annually, valued at almost €40m, the EPA said.
The report does not refer to the extraction of peat as fuel for domestic use.
“The EPA has deployed significant resources to carry out 170 enforcement inspections between 2021 and 2024. It has also taken legal actions at district court and High Court level against operations on areas greater than 50 hectares.
“These legal actions have resulted in the cessation of illegal peat extractions on several peatlands in recent years. A number of actions remain live before the courts,” it added.
Local authorities
Local authorities have the primary responsibility for regulating all commercial peat extraction, specifically regarding compliance with environmental legislation, including the performance of environmental impact assessments, appropriate assessments associated with protected habitats and the granting or otherwise of the necessary planning permissions for those activities.
Local authority enforcement performance in this area is patently inadequate, the EPA stated.
“The EPA is directing local authorities to take appropriate enforcement actions against such operations within their jurisdiction. The EPA will continue to use its powers to ensure that local authorities fully implement and enforce the environmental requirements pertaining to large-scale commercial peat extraction.”
The EPA has said that there are three types of illegal large-scale peat extraction; milled peat, large sod peat and wet peat extraction.
Local authorities have the primary responsibility for regulating all commercial peat extraction.\ Philip Doyle
Milling involves the removal of the top few centimetres of the peatland, while the large sod peat process involves excavating large sods or blocks of peat from the peatland and allowing them to dry. These large sods are used in horticulture.
For wet peat extraction, the peatland is partially drained, the peat is quarried and excavated in its wet state. This material is used in the mushroom-growing industry.
The EPA said that the main uses for extracted peat are horticulture, mushroom growing and animal bedding.
A total of 313,382t of peat was exported in 2024.
Flagrant violation
Director of the EPA office of environmental enforcement Dr Tom Ryan said operators engaged in unauthorised peat-harvesting activities are in flagrant violation of environmental law.
“They are destroying our precious natural environments and this needs to stop. The environmental damage caused by large-scale peat extraction operating outside regulatory control is catastrophic for the environment.
"It results in the destruction of vital ecosystems for biodiversity, the loss of important carbon sinks for our efforts on climate change and the decimation of an irreplaceable cultural and scientific amenity and resource,” he said.
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The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is investigating 38 large-scale operations across seven counties where illegal peat extraction is taking place.
The large-scale illegal commercial extraction of peat is widespread in Ireland, it said in a new report on illegal peat extraction for 2025.
The EPA said it has investigated 38 sites across seven counties – Offaly, Kildare, Tipperary, Westmeath, Roscommon, Longford and Sligo – where large-scale commercial peat extraction is being carried out without any of the necessary authorisations from the local authorities.
These illegal operations are contributing to an export trade of 300,000t of peat annually, valued at almost €40m, the EPA said.
The report does not refer to the extraction of peat as fuel for domestic use.
“The EPA has deployed significant resources to carry out 170 enforcement inspections between 2021 and 2024. It has also taken legal actions at district court and High Court level against operations on areas greater than 50 hectares.
“These legal actions have resulted in the cessation of illegal peat extractions on several peatlands in recent years. A number of actions remain live before the courts,” it added.
Local authorities
Local authorities have the primary responsibility for regulating all commercial peat extraction, specifically regarding compliance with environmental legislation, including the performance of environmental impact assessments, appropriate assessments associated with protected habitats and the granting or otherwise of the necessary planning permissions for those activities.
Local authority enforcement performance in this area is patently inadequate, the EPA stated.
“The EPA is directing local authorities to take appropriate enforcement actions against such operations within their jurisdiction. The EPA will continue to use its powers to ensure that local authorities fully implement and enforce the environmental requirements pertaining to large-scale commercial peat extraction.”
The EPA has said that there are three types of illegal large-scale peat extraction; milled peat, large sod peat and wet peat extraction.
Local authorities have the primary responsibility for regulating all commercial peat extraction.\ Philip Doyle
Milling involves the removal of the top few centimetres of the peatland, while the large sod peat process involves excavating large sods or blocks of peat from the peatland and allowing them to dry. These large sods are used in horticulture.
For wet peat extraction, the peatland is partially drained, the peat is quarried and excavated in its wet state. This material is used in the mushroom-growing industry.
The EPA said that the main uses for extracted peat are horticulture, mushroom growing and animal bedding.
A total of 313,382t of peat was exported in 2024.
Flagrant violation
Director of the EPA office of environmental enforcement Dr Tom Ryan said operators engaged in unauthorised peat-harvesting activities are in flagrant violation of environmental law.
“They are destroying our precious natural environments and this needs to stop. The environmental damage caused by large-scale peat extraction operating outside regulatory control is catastrophic for the environment.
"It results in the destruction of vital ecosystems for biodiversity, the loss of important carbon sinks for our efforts on climate change and the decimation of an irreplaceable cultural and scientific amenity and resource,” he said.
Read more
EPA investigating suspected illegal peat extraction
Judge orders peat cutter to pay €7,700 after unlicensed peat extraction
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