IPCC’s Annual Report & Financial Statements 2024

During the year, we called for the end of the sale of peat moss compost in the retail sector as recommended in the Chairpersons report from the Peat Use in Horticulture Working Group and we welcomed the EPA’s investigations into peat extraction sites which are not licenced and do not have planning permission. We also continued to campaign the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage to finalise Ireland’s raised bog Natural Heritage Area network.

We undertook a number of peatland projects in 2024 including:
* celebrating twenty years of the Bog of Allen Nature Centre
* estimating the store of carbon on Killyconny Bog SAC, Co. Cavan, Phase 2,
* publishing a new raised bog plant identification swatch,
* developing a community biodiversity action plan for Griston Bog, Co. Limerick, * completing an energy audit at the Bog of Allen Nature Centre and
* completing a breeding snipe survey on Girley Bog NHA, Co. Meath

We continued to monitor peatland sites nationally, responding to scoping and planning applications and engaging with a variety of stakeholders.

We met with over 1000 visitors and groups during the year both at the Bog of Allen Nature Centre and nationally through our peatland education outreach programme.

At the IPCC AGM in May there were two resignations from the Committee of Management and one new appointment. The Committee thanked Eugene Dunbar and Miriam Mooney for their time and contribution to peatland conservation and welcomed Rebecca Kummert to the Committee.

The voluntary Committee of Management held eight meetings in 2024. Topics of discussion included the regulation of IPCC’s finances and operations, health and safety assessments and compliance with the Charities Regulator governance code. The IPCC also contracted Omnipro Consultants Ltd. to update the IPCC Memorandum and Articles of Association.

We are grateful to all who contributed financially to the Save the Bogs Campaign in 2024, including Friends of the Bog, public bodies and philanthropic individuals and groups.  We thank the IPCC volunteers and staff that worked throughout the year taking action for peatlands. The difference they and other supporters made can be seen in the details of our work in the following pages.