The illegal commercial extraction of peat in Ireland is continuing on a large scale according to a report from the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) last month.
The trade in illegal peat extraction is estimated to be worth €40 Million a year according to the EPA investigation. The EPA carried out 170 enforcement inspections between 2021 and 2024.
Cessation of illegal extraction on several peatlands has been successful. The products being extracted are milled peat used as compost and large sod peat - used in horticulture - as well as wet peat extracts used in mushroom production.
