Jimmy Deenihan (Kerry North-West Limerick, Fine Gael)

Deputy Mattie McGrath should listen to what I have to say. Fianna Fáil used a derogation in respect of which it did not even obtain permission from Europe and it allowed one third of the designated areas on which we signed off with Europe to be taken away over a ten-year period.

I inherited this problem and, as stated on previous occasions, the first thing presented to me when I entered my Department was a letter of formal notice that was sent to the current leader of Fianna Fáil, Deputy Martin, at the end of January 2011. In that letter, Deputy Martin was informed that as a result of the inaction of his Government - which was replaced shortly afterwards - the European Commission was taking Ireland to court. When I was appointed, I immediately established the Peatlands Council and I put in place a scheme of compensation for people who were affected. In the first instance, that scheme applied in respect of those who previously worked the 33 affected bogs. The amount of compensation available last year was €1,000 per individual and this has been increased to €2,000 in the current year. The Peatlands Council made a recommendation to the effect that we should deliver fuel to those people who are affected. The initial proposal in this regard was 10,000 tonnes but I increased this to 15,000.

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