§ 67. Mr. GINNELLasked the Vice-President of the Department of Agriculture (Ireland) the measures the Department has taken to promote or encourage taking advantage of the opportunity afforded by the War for developing the bogs of Ireland and obtaining from them peat litter horse bedding, for those who have hitherto imported that article from Germany, and fuel for domestic and other purposes, in view of the increased price of coal?
§ The CHIEF SECRETARY for IRELAND (Mr. Birrell)As the hon. Member has already been informed on 21st May and 9th July, 1914, the Dutch system of cutting peat for moss litter purposes has been successfully introduced, with the Department's assistance, into certain districts in Ireland. It is understood that an increased business has been done by the existing Irish peat moss litter industries since the outbreak of the War. A producer gas installation in operation in Ireland, which uses peat in place of anthracite coal, appears to have thereby effected a considerable annual saving. The Department are at present making inquiries as to some other purposes for which peat might be used, and further experiments by private enterprise in this connection are about to be carried out.