Dublin today (14 March) said it was ready to defend its position on peat bogs in reaction to a referral from the European Commission to the EU Court of Justice on Wednesday (March 13). The EU executive has sued Ireland for failure to comply with the Habitats Directive, on grounds that machine turf cutting of peat bogs fails to protect the swamps which act as ‘carbon sinks’. The Irish state has invested significantly in peat bogs since 2011, after the EU executive issued a formal notice to the country calling for action in the conservation and restoration of peatlands, an Irish government spoke…