Ireland has two months to stop cutting turf from protected bogs following orders from the European Commission.
And if we don't, the issue will go to the European Court of Justice.
Around 55 raised bogs are designated Special Areas of Conservation because of threats to the important natural habitats.
Read more: Climate change: Numbers 'don't add up' on Ireland's sectoral emissions ceilings
Bogs are 'carbon sinks' and when peat is cut away and burned that carbon is released into the atmosphere, adding to emissions.
Despite recognition of their importance, Ireland's own National raised Bog Special Areas of Conservation Management plan for 2017-2022, admits "over 37% of active raised bogs - where the conditions are right for peat to form - in the SACs network have been lost in the last 20 years".
Minister of State for Heritage and Electoral Reform Malcolm Noonan oversees the preservation of Ireland’s national peatlands as part of the National Parks and Wildlife Service, but “has no function in respect of the mining, importation or export of peat”.
Peat extraction is controlled through planning and the Environmental Protection Agency while the Department of Environment, Climate and Communications oversees Bord na Mona.
A spokesperson for NPWS previously told earlier this year: “Between 1997 and 2002 Ireland nominated a total of 53 raised bog sites for designation as SACs and between 2003 and 2007, 75 raised bog Natural Heritage Areas were designated under the Wildlife Acts."
The EC first took action against Ireland for its failure to tackle peat extraction 11 years ago, and after the "long dialogue" issued a final notice on Thursday.
They said "cutting activities are still ongoing and enforcement action appears to have stalled".
"Restoration activities have begun on some raised bogs SACs, but this is too slow given the importance of this priority habitat and its precarious state.
“With regard to blanket bogs SACs, there appears to be no regime controlling ongoing cutting with the cutting for domestic use exempt from control."
Ireland’s peatlands have been around since the ice age but in more recent years the ancient habitat has been mined, planted, claimed for agriculture and drained.
Now they account for just over a fifth of Irish soil and species that once thrived on them have seen their numbers plummet.
Environmental campaigners have long called for the end of turf cutting.
Irish Wildlife's Padraig Fogarty previously told us their continued destruction is no different than the Amazon deforestation being facilitated by Bolsonaro.
“Even where we haven’t been mining peat [bogs] we have been draining them and trying to turn them into agricultural land or we planted them. Every year we have bogland set on fire somewhere," Fogarty said.
“Less than 1% of our raised bogs are intact and we are still allowing illegal activities to destroy them.”
A ban on the retail sale of turf comes into force at the end of October, after sign off from Environment Minister Eamon Ryan.
But the regulations will not stop the burning of peat or impact those with turbary - or turf cutting - rights - who will still be able to sell turf to friends and neighbours under the rules.
Ireland is also facing fines and legal action over failure to implement two other key EU directives designed to protect the environment, and stop crimes like money laundering and terrorist financing.
The country also "missed the initial deadline" to implement a single-use plastics directive to reduce the impact of certain plastics on the environment and human health.
