Galway Bay FM newsroom- Local Senator Pauline O' Reilly has accused Minister for Housing and Heritage, Darragh O' Brien, of turning a blind eye to illegal peat harvesting across the country.
Green Party Senator Pauline O' Reilly was debating a bill that proposes to allow peat extraction for horticulture purposes for a temporary period.
It aims to reduce the reliance some growers have on imported peat which is typically considerably more expensive than Irish peat.
However, Senator O' Reilly claimed the bill is not feasible nor compatible with EU law - and is giving "false hope" to growers across the country.
She then accused Government Ministers of continuing to turn a blind eye to illegal peat harvesting across the country.