Mr. Brian Lucas:

On budget 2020, as I said in my presentation, the allocation for next year is €5 million. The idea behind the programme is to restore 32 bogs. We hope to begin restoring nine bogs next year. When the 32 bogs have been restored, it will result in the storage of around 28 megatonnes of carbon. The nine bogs earmarked for restoration next year will help maintain a store of approximately six megatonnes of carbon, which will result in a reduction in CO2 emissions of around 5,000 tonnes.

Deputy Corcoran Kennedy asked how the programme is managed at the moment. There are two sides to it. As I mentioned, we have EU LIFE programme funding. We are getting funding from the European Commission and the Department is making a financial contribution. This is managed by a LIFE project team that is under contract to the Department for five years. It would go to tender for the restoration work being done in 12 special areas of conservation sites. Dr. Renou-Wilson spoke about restoration and re-wetting. In the raised bog sites - the designated sites - we are trying to maintain the active raised bog and restore degraded to active. This would largely involve drain blocking with peat or plastic dams. When the project team for the LIFE project goes out for that work, it tenders for that work. It might tender for a block of bogs together, perhaps in a particular area. Bogs are mainly found in the midlands and east Galway.

As I mentioned, separate from the LIFE project, the Department is moving ahead with the restoration of State-owned land in other raised bogs in special areas of conservation and natural heritage areas. A lot of engineering and surveying skills are involved in that along with the physical restoration works. We went to tender for that project a number of years ago. Bord na Móna project manages that project for the Department.

I also mentioned that we are trying relocate turf cutters to non-designated bogs. There will be a certain amount of work in terms of land purchase and infrastructure works on the non-designated sites. Again, Bord na Móna project managed that for the Department as a result of a tender process. If it is useful to the committee, I can go into more detail about the restoration work that has already been undertaken but perhaps for now, it would be better to hand over to Dr. Renou-Wilson.