Ireland and other EU member states are to develop a European peatlands initiative which will come into effect in 2024.

Peatlands were to the fore in Dublin on Monday 8 May as the Government hosted an event attended by several European countries, which discussed the development of the initiative.

The aim of the event was to strengthen existing ties between countries whose joint aims are to create momentum for peatlands restoration, conservation and sustainable management.

The meeting was attended by the German federal ministry for the environment, nature conservation, nuclear safety and consumer protection; the Netherlands ministry of agriculture, the Nature and Food Quality and the UNEP Global Peatlands Initiative.

Ireland was represented by Minister of State for land use and biodiversity Pippa Hackett and Minister of State for heritage and electoral reform Malcolm Noonan.

Bog visit

Those in attendance visited a blanket bog restoration project in the Wicklow Mountains National Park.

The project is a collaboration between Ireland’s National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) and Intel Corporation and saw the rewetting of 60 hectares of drained bog to increase water storage levels by 50 to 90 litres.

This public-private collaboration project is one of the first of its kind in Ireland for water restoration and the protection of biodiversity.

Conservation

Minister Hackett said that it is important “for us to drive peatland conservation and preservation, as a shared effort with governments across Europe. The meeting in Dublin will serve as an important turning point for the European peatlands initiative as we move into the next phase of its creation.”

Minister Noonan said the meeting marked “the beginning of a transformative and inspiring new chapter in our shared commitment to a sustainable future".

The initial common vision for the initiative will be sharpened and defined over the next year before the launch in 2024.