Bord na Móna says it will review requirements for peat harvesting after planners allowed the State to company cut turf on some bogs.
A High Court ruling last September prevented the company from harvesting peat, but a decision by An Bord Pleanála means that it can cut turf on bogs of more than 30 hectares.
This will allow the company to supply its peat briquette plant in Derrinlough, Co Offaly, the Edenderry power plant in Co Kildare and its horticulture business.
Despite this, Bord na Móna said the collapse in demand for energy as a result of the Covid-19 crisis was likely to mean that it would be unable to reverse the decision to temporarily lay off 230 workers on full pay last month.
“The company will, however, review the implications of the An Bord Pleanála announcement to assess the new operational requirements for peat operations,” Bord na Móna said in a statement.
“The company will be communicating the full implications of this decision to employees in the coming days and weeks.”
