The Irish Wildlife Trust has raised concerns about the impact amending the 2016 Wildlife Bill will have on 46 protected sites with raised bogs.
Ireland is already in trouble with the European Commission and was found guilty of breaching laws designed to protect nature at the European Court of Justice last week.
While this proposed Bill change, being debated on Wednesday, is not linked to Special Areas of Conservation it will impact 46 sites now protected as Natural heritage Areas for their raised bogs.
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IWT campaign officer Pádraic Fogarty says: "At Montreal last year governments from around the world committed to protecting 30 per cent of land and sea by 2030 as part of a deal to protect and restore nature.
"Ireland supported this deal and even joined a ‘High Ambition Coalition’ furthering the aim. Yet what we see at home is the exact opposite.
"When we know we need to protect all of our peatlands for the climate, biodiversity and water benefits they bring, it’s impossible to understand how the Government feels that promoting more peat mining is the right thing to be doing.
"The Wildlife (Amendment) Bill is not all bad.
"The Bill will provide a legal footing for the National Biodiversity Action Plan, an essential step in implementing the measures they contain.
"The IWT warmly welcomes this change but it is lamentable that it comes with a weakening of protections on the ground for bogs, and sends yet another signal that this Government is not serious about making the changes that are needed to address the climate and biodiversity emergency."
