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

I proposed to take Questions Nos. 7, 15 and 22 together.

As referred to in my earlier reply to priority Question No. 3 on 15 January last, I published three comprehensive documents dealing with Ireland's peatlands - an overall draft national peatlands strategy, a draft national raised bog special areas of conservation, SAC, management plan and a review of raised bog natural heritage areas, NHAs. Collectively, these documents seek to give to clarity on the future management of Ireland's peatlands. The three documents are available on my Department's website at www.ahg.gov.ie.

The draft national raised bog SAC management plan provides for the future restoration and management of our 53 raised bog SACs. It sets out the approach to how each of these SACs is to be conserved and restored and how the needs of turf cutters are to be addressed. Specifically regarding Coolrain bog, while the scientific assessment of this SAC shows there is limited potential to restore additional active raised bog, this does not mean that the bog is of little conservation interest. This small bog contains a significant area of active bog at present which would be lost if turf cutting were allowed to continue. Approximately 50 ha of the high bog and cutaway has been restored by Coillte with EU LIFE programme funding. Additional restoration work will be necessary to offset damage caused by the turf cutting, which will continue to impact on the bog for many years to come. The restoration work needed will be investigated and a conservation plan developed within two years. It is hoped that the local community will take an active role in the development of this plan. It may be noted that the EU habitats directive does not allow for SACs to be de-designated unless damage is caused by natural forces which is not the case with Coolrain bog.

In terms of NHAs, the Government decided to review the situation regarding these bogs which the previous Government had decided should close from the beginning of this year. The recently published review of NHAs sets out proposals for a significant reconfiguration of raised bog NHAs to meet national conservation targets, while reducing the impact on turf cutters and on taxpayers.

The proposed reconfiguration will improve conservation outcomes by increasing the area of active or restorable raised bog within the network of sites and excluding the most heavily cut sites from the network, thereby avoiding any impact on over 80% of active turf cutters. Turf cutting will continue on 46 NHAs but will be phased out on another 36 NHAs over three years, with the introduction of an individual permit system from the current year. Seven sites will have their boundaries redrawn and turf cutting will be phased out in the reduced areas only. A total of 25 new sites will be proposed for designation as raised bog NHAs to replace the habitat lost through de-designation of the more heavily-cut sites. Many of these are in public ownership or have relatively few or no turf cutters.

Any turf cutter required to cease turf cutting on an NHA will be offered compensatory measures along the same lines as those available to turf cutters in raised bog SACs. Compensation will be made available immediately to active turf cutters in these NHA sites who meet the requirements of my Department's scheme. My Department will write to members of the public identified as having an interest in these sites in the coming weeks and notices will be placed local newspapers.

It may be noted that compensation to the value of some €7.4 million has been paid by my Department to turf cutters in raised bog SACs since 2011.

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